Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor’s NAZA, the new documentary from two of the Oscar-winning filmmakers behind No Other Land, has become the most loudly applauded film in the history of the Venice Film Festival. The film received a reported 24.5-minute standing ovation following its Competition premiere on September 10, surpassing the previous Venice record set by The Voice of Hind Rajab in 2025. The response gives NAZA one of the defining moments of the 83rd Venice Film Festival as the event moves toward its final awards.
Directed by Abraham and Szor, NAZA is an 80-minute documentary that examines the systems behind Israel’s military operations and civilian deaths in Gaza through testimony from Israeli intelligence officers and military personnel. The film was shot at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv, with its sources appearing anonymously to protect their identities. Venice officially lists the film as a United Kingdom production from The Guardian and JW Films, with Jonathan Glazer serving as executive producer.
The filmmakers are two of the four directors of No Other Land, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2025. Their new film takes a markedly different approach to the conflict. Rather than documenting life on the ground in Gaza, NAZA attempts to examine the mechanisms, intelligence systems and decision-making processes that contribute to civilian casualties. The film draws on testimony from 24 anonymous Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers, according to reports from its Venice premiere.
The title itself refers to a term used within Israeli military and intelligence circles to describe an anticipated level of civilian casualties associated with a strike. The documentary uses the term as a starting point for an examination of how civilian deaths can become part of military calculations. Its testimonies discuss targeting systems, surveillance technology and the relationship between intelligence gathering and airstrikes.
The film’s reception in Venice was extraordinary. Reports put the ovation at 24.5 minutes, while other coverage described it as lasting approximately 25 minutes. Either way, it surpassed the roughly 22–23-minute response received by Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab at last year’s festival. NAZA therefore now holds the reported record for the longest standing ovation in Venice.
The response was also visibly political. Audience members raised Palestinian and Lebanese flags after the screening, while Abraham and Szor remained on stage during the extended applause. The moment came amid an edition of Venice in which the war in Gaza and questions surrounding the festival’s response to the conflict have remained prominent.
Critics have also responded strongly to the documentary. Screen Daily described it as an urgent and politically charged work, highlighting the way it builds its impact through the accumulation of testimony and information. The Guardian similarly praised the film’s examination of the systems behind civilian casualties, while other festival reviews have focused on its stark and unsettling treatment of modern warfare.
The record-breaking reception also immediately places NAZA in the conversation around Venice’s major awards. The film is competing in the Venezia 83 Competition for the Golden Lion, making it eligible for the festival’s principal prizes. It is also the only documentary in this year’s Venice Competition, giving it a distinctive position within the lineup.
Beyond the Golden Lion, NAZA could also become a significant contender in the festival’s acting-free documentary landscape, particularly for the jury’s recognition of filmmaking, direction and documentary form. However, its extraordinary ovation should not be treated as an indication that it has won or is guaranteed an award. Venice’s jury, led by jury president Alexander Payne, will determine the winners when the festival announces its prizes.
The film’s festival journey will continue beyond Venice. NAZA has also been selected for the Perlak section of the San Sebastián International Film Festival, where it will compete for the City of Donostia / San Sebastián Audience Award. That selection ensures the documentary will remain part of the international festival conversation after its Venice premiere.
For now, however, NAZA has already secured a place in Venice history. Its 24.5-minute ovation has broken the festival’s previous record, while the documentary’s politically charged subject and connection to No Other Land have made it one of the most closely watched films of this year’s Competition. With the Golden Lion and other Venice awards still to be decided, NAZA leaves the Lido not only with the festival’s biggest ovation, but also with considerable attention surrounding its awards prospects.
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