Directors Rachel Szor, left, and Yuval Abraham, winners of the special jury prize for the film ‘Naza’, pose for photographers at the awards photo call during the closing ceremony of the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival
| Photo Credit: AP
The Guardian and French distributor mk2 Films have announced a global theatrical rollout for NAZA, the Venice Special Jury Prize-winning documentary directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, followed by a free worldwide release on the Guardian’s website. The film will begin its theatrical run on September 28 across 56 territories, while The Guardian is also exploring ways to make the documentary available to audiences in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
NAZA premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 10, where it received a 25-minute standing ovation before winning the Special Jury Prize. The film subsequently screened at Bologna and San Sebastián, and will have its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival on September 26. It will open at New York’s IFC Center on September 30 before expanding to Los Angeles and other US markets from October 9.
The wider theatrical release, handled in partnership with mk2 Films, covers territories across Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, Turkey, Central America and the Middle East. The Guardian said the film has secured theatrical distributors in 56 territories since its Venice premiere. Following the cinema run, the newspaper plans to make NAZA available globally and free of charge on theguardian.com as part of its commitment to independent journalism.
The Guardian has also offered the film to distributors and cinemas in Israel. The newspaper said it is exploring “other ways” for NAZA to be seen in the occupied Palestinian territories, without specifying what those methods might involve.
Shot largely at night on the rooftops of Tel Aviv, NAZA features interviews with 24 members of Israel’s military and intelligence establishment who spoke on condition of anonymity. The documentary builds on investigations published by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call between 2023 and 2025, covering subjects including Israel’s AI-driven targeting practices in Gaza.
The film has also become the centre of a political and legal controversy in Israel following its Venice premiere. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have called for Abraham and Szor’s citizenship to be revoked, while more than 1,500 Israeli filmmakers have signed a petition supporting the directors and defending freedom of expression. Forty-three Israeli human rights organisations have also issued a statement urging authorities to halt what they described as threats and incitement against the filmmakers.
Abraham and Szor said the threats against them would not prevent the film from reaching audiences. “The threats from the Israeli government to revoke our citizenship and the death threats do not change that and will not stop the film,” they said.
The Guardian investigations correspondent and one of the film’s producers Harry Davies, said NAZA was grounded in three years of investigative reporting while also functioning as a feature documentary intended for audiences beyond the newspaper’s readership. Jonathan Glazer serves as executive producer, with James Wilson of JW Films also producing alongside The Guardian.
Published – September 24, 2026 05:57 pm IST
