Waalwijk, Theater De Leest NAZA

A compelling documentary in which Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers discuss the decision-making process behind airstrikes on Gaza. The film shows how targets are selected and the role civilian casualties play in that process.

"Naza," by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor—two of the filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land"—is a revealing film about the systems behind the large-scale civilian deaths in Gaza.

On the rooftops of Tel Aviv, far from the war zone, Israeli soldiers hold secret nighttime discussions. Step by step, it becomes clear how the military and intelligence services determine who is a target, what technologies and procedures are used in the process, and how many civilian casualties an attack is deemed acceptable. Dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of Palestinian civilians may be considered an acceptable price to pay for eliminating a single target. The film thus poses the painful question: How can the killing of innocent civilians become so normalized within a military apparatus that it is no longer viewed as a moral or legal problem? The title refers to Nezek Agavi, “collateral damage,” the Israeli military term for the expected number of civilian casualties from an airstrike. The term thus symbolizes the dehumanization deeply ingrained in the system: civilian deaths are not a tragic side effect, but a foreseen and accepted part of military operations. *Naza* premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize.

"A documentary that gradually seems to turn into a dystopian science fiction film." — De Volkskrant (★★★★★)

"A stunning documentary from the Israeli filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning No Other Land." - VPRO Cinema (★★★★★)

"The anguish of Gaza is brought into pin-sharp focus." — The Guardian (★★★★)