VENICE — According to its synopsis, Naza focuses on the killings of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The film builds on reporting published between 2023 and 2025 by +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian. According to its synopsis, Naza was shot at night on Tel Aviv rooftops.

Naza is co-directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. Abraham and Szor are Israeli filmmakers. The film was produced and James Wilson of JW Films. Jonathan Glazer served as an executive producer on Naza. It is the only documentary competing for the Golden Lion award at the festival.

Abraham and Szor were two of the four directors of the 2025 best documentary winner No Other Land. That film depicted Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by the Israeli military in Masafer Yatta. No Other Land was made over four years between 2019 and 2023. Production on that film wrapped days before the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

Timeline

Production on No Other Land wrapped days before the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The Israeli representatives at the 2024 Venice Biennale stated they would only open the pavilion if there were a ceasefire in Gaza. In 2024, the artist and curators representing Israel at the Venice Biennale kept the Israeli pavilion exhibit closed.

The jury for the Venice Biennale contemporary art exhibition quit earlier in 2026 in protest of Israel’s and Russia’s participation. The Venice Biennale contemporary art exhibition opened earlier in 2026 with no Golden Lions awarded. The Venice Festival added the documentary Naza to its main competition lineup.

The 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival begins on Sept. 2, 2026. Naza will screen at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 10 at 5:15 p.m. in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema.

What's New

The Venice Film Festival’s artistic director, Alberto Barbera, stated that the festival would not sanction a ban on any artist or filmmaker, and that the Mostra has a pro-Palestinian demonstration scheduled for August 30 at the Lido. In 2024, the Israeli Pavilion at the Venice Biennale closed to the public during protests on opening day, and it did not reopen during the event. The artist representing Israel at the time, Ruth Patir, decided to shutter her pavilion until Hamas released the hostages taken on October 7 and Israel instituted a ceasefire, neither of which happened during the Venice Biennale’s run.

The Israeli Pavilion in the Giardini was under construction, according to sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, who represented Israel at the 2026 Venice Biennale, and therefore the pavilion was moved to the Arsenale. Venice Film Festival is annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. The directors, producers, Guardian journalists, and the official delegation will be present at the screening of Naza. Venice Biennale is biennial art exhibit in Venice, Italy.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the details regarding the Israeli pavilion at the Venice Biennale and the ceasefire condition. The artist representing Israel at the time, Ruth Patir, decided to shutter her pavilion until Hamas released the hostages taken on October 7 and Israel instituted a ceasefire.

Why It Matters

The inclusion of Naza in the main competition occurs against a backdrop of ongoing political tensions around cultural representation in Venice. The events described span 2 years, from 2024 to 2026, marking a period where artistic institutions in the city have faced significant scrutiny regarding the conflict in Gaza.

Previous editions of related cultural events in Venice saw direct action from participants. In 2024, the artist and curators representing Israel at the Venice Biennale kept the Israeli pavilion exhibit closed, conditioning its opening on a ceasefire. Earlier in 2026, the jury for the Venice Biennale contemporary art exhibition quit in protest of Israel’s and Russia’s participation, resulting in an exhibition that opened with no Golden Lions awarded.