“Naza,” the documentary by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, presented in competition at the Venice Film Festival and awarded the Special Jury Recognition, debuted at the top of the Italian box office . On its first day of release, Monday, September 28, the film about the Gaza massacre grossed €451,872, with an average of €1,153 per screen, surpassing “Avengers: Endgame Extra,” which grossed €179,612, and “Ultimo. Tutto, live a Tor Vergata,” which grossed €145,534.
Distributed by I Wonder in 515 theaters, "Naza" hit theaters with a three-day special release, from September 28th to 30th. The two directors—known for "No Other Land," the Oscar-winning documentary co-directed with Palestinian colleagues Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal—built on years of investigative journalism conducted by +972 Magazine and Local Call, in collaboration with the Guardian, one of the producers. The film collects the anonymous testimonies of 24 former Israeli military and security service members and analyzes, through their own words, the workings of the military system and its impact on the Palestinian population.
"We made this film driven by a sense of duty to use our position as Israeli filmmakers and journalists to analyze the mechanisms behind the massacre of Palestinian civilians for which our country is responsible," the authors explained. From its Venice screening, where it received 25 minutes of applause, "Naza" sparked strong reactions in Israel. The Israeli government harshly criticized the documentary and its filmmakers, calling the film "vile" and accusing the directors of being "traitors in a time of war."
The film will be available for free online starting in November, following its theatrical release in over 50 countries. The Guardian has announced it will stream it on its website.
(Unioneonline/D)