The Venice Film Festival has added a new documentary titled "NAZA" to its main competition lineup, focusing on the civilian impact of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who previously co-directed the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," "NAZA" is the only documentary competing for the festival’s Golden Lion award.

The film, produced in collaboration with The Guardian and the team behind "The Zone of Interest," was shot primarily at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv. It centers on the killings of Palestinian civilians during the war that erupted following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The documentary builds on reporting conducted between 2023 and 2025 for outlets such as the Israeli-Palestinian +972 Magazine, the Hebrew-language Local Call, and The Guardian.

Abraham and Szor were two of four directors behind "No Other Land," which won the best documentary award in 2025. That film documented Palestinian activists’ efforts to protect their communities from demolition by the Israeli military. The production extended from 2019 until just days before the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023.

The war between Israel and Hamas is a prominent theme at this year’s festival, scheduled to begin on September 2. Last year’s event saw thousands of protesters gather in a pro-Palestinian demonstration, aiming to draw attention away from the festival’s celebrities to the realities of the conflict. Films addressing the war have received recognition before; for example, Kaouther Ben Hania’s "The Voice of Hind Rajab," which portrays the death of a six-year-old girl amid an attempt to flee Gaza in early 2024, took the Silver Lion award last year. Ben Hania is also a member of the jury led by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, responsible for selecting this year’s winners, which will be announced on September 12.

Political tensions surrounding the conflict have also affected other cultural events at Venice. Earlier this year, the Venice Biennale contemporary art exhibition opened without awarding Golden Lions after its jury resigned in protest of Israel’s and Russia’s participation amid widespread demonstrations. Israel’s pavilion remained closed throughout 2024, with artists and curators stating it would reopen only upon the establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza.