'NAZA' Directors Face Treason Threats Over Gaza Doc — SkimNews
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- "NAZA" premiered at Venice with a record-breaking near-25-minute stand ovation and has now begun its worldwide theatrical rollout.
- Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who previously made "No Other Land," face threats from the Israeli government including charges of treason and defamation and threats to revoke their citizenship.
- Producer James Wilson described the Israeli government response as "hysterical, vituperative, aggressive," while confirming the directors are "safe and ok" despite the "horrible and scary" experience.
- The film draws on sources from the Israeli Defense Force to expose what it asserts is Israel's deliberate targeting of civilian targets in Gaza.
- Wilson said the Israeli backlash is "part of the film," citing a piece in the Jewish American magazine Forward, while emphasizing the majority critical reaction has been "extraordinarily positive."
- Wilson made these remarks at the BFI London Film Festival.
Why it matters: The Israeli government is escalating against its own citizen-filmmakers — threatening treason charges, defamation allegations, and citizenship revocation over a documentary built on IDF sources. With "NAZA" now rolling out worldwide after its record-breaking Venice premiere, the state's own aggressive response amplifies the film's argument rather than suppressing it, while putting international pressure on Israel over treatment of documentary makers and press freedom.
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