Jonathan Glazer appeared on a panel at the London premiere of NAZA, an Israeli documentary produced by the Guardian that examines military systems used during the conflict in Gaza. Glazer serves as an executive producer on the film and described his initial reaction to viewing it as being “shocked into silence.” He attributed his involvement partly to the power of testimonies featured in the work and to what he characterized as the cinematic presentation of those accounts.
Glazer noted thematic connections between NAZA and The Zone of Interest, his 2023 historical drama depicting Nazi officers’ daily lives at Auschwitz. He stated that both films explore dehumanization and how societies arrive at extreme actions through processes of othering. The director indicated that while he anticipated significant reaction to NAZA, the intensity of the Israeli government’s response exceeded his expectations.
Co-directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor have faced threats and legal action from Israeli officials, including announced plans to strip them of citizenship on accusations of treason. The Israeli government has pursued efforts to discredit the documentary’s content, and the military issued a response document. Co-producer James Wilson described the governmental backlash as occurring before the film had been released in Israel to the general public.
NAZA premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it received a 25-minute standing ovation and won the special jury prize. The documentary features interviews with Israeli military insiders discussing surveillance systems deployed during the Gaza conflict. The film is now in UK cinemas and will be distributed in more than 50 countries, with plans for free availability on the Guardian’s website from late November. When released in Italy the previous month, the film opened in first place at the box office.
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