Entertainment · Film · 2 hrs ago
French viewers react to documentary on Israeli military operations in Gaza
The documentary NAZA screened in French cinemas on October 12 and 13, drawing strong reactions from viewers.
Directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, it features interviews with Israeli military personnel about surveillance and targeting in Gaza.
The film explains “NAZA” as a term for expected civilian deaths from a strike.
Viewers said the accounts showed how Palestinian victims were reduced to numbers and described soldiers comparing remote operations to a video game.
The film focuses on Israel’s war in Gaza, which began after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023; more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the article.
NAZA won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, and its French screenings drew a strong response from audiences.
French viewers who attended screenings of the documentary NAZA in Paris on October 12 and 13 said Israeli soldiers’ accounts of military operations in Gaza shocked and disturbed them.
The film features anonymised Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers discussing surveillance, targeting and civilian casualties.
Viewers said the film showed how soldiers spoke about Palestinians as numbers rather than people.
NAZA was directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor and produced by The Guardian.
The Israeli military called the film a “manipulative depiction of reality,” while the filmmakers said its major claims were supported by multiple sources.
- Who
- French viewers who watched NAZA at two cinemas in Paris.
- What
- Viewers said the documentary’s accounts by Israeli soldiers about operations in Gaza were shocking and disturbing.
- When
- The film screened in French cinemas on October 12 and 13. The year was not stated in the article.
- Where
- Two cinemas in Paris, France.
- Why
- Viewers said the soldiers’ descriptions of civilian casualties and the apparent reduction of victims to numbers disturbed them.
Israeli Defense Forces
NAZA filmmakers
Film’s depiction
Israeli Defense Forces
The IDF called NAZA a “manipulative depiction of reality.
NAZA filmmakers
The filmmakers said major claims in the film had support from multiple sources.
Right of reply
Israeli Defense Forces
The IDF said the filmmakers did not submit allegations for examination and response before publication.
NAZA filmmakers
The article says the filmmakers had not acceded to the IDF’s request.
Hamas carried out a terrorist attack on Israel, according to ABC Australia.
NAZA was screened in French cinemas, including two cinemas in Paris.
Daily Sabah and ABC Australia published reports on the film and reactions to it.
The Guardian published an article discussing NAZA and perpetrator cinema.
- Paris screenings
- October 12–13
- Film
- NAZA
- Directors
- Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor
- Interviewees
- 24
- Research period
- Three years
- Sources consulted
- More than 100 confidential sources
3 sources
What people are saying
We know what is happening, we talk about it, we see it, but not to this extent. And here, it was really shocking to see Israeli soldiers talking about it. Sometimes you could sense regret, sometimes not so much. They spoke quite coldly. So, it really disturbed me. And, I think it was very well made. It went by very quickly.
I think the film is extremely important. It is extremely important to have this perspective because we often hear testimonies from victims, but here we have testimonies from the attackers, who put the situation into concrete words.
manipulative depiction of reality
We've made sure that every major claim in the film has multiple sources, in some cases more than a dozen sources who are backing up that claim.