The documentary “NAZA,” directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, is experiencing commercial success in the United States. In less than two weeks of screenings, the film has surpassed $500,000 in box office receipts, despite the absence of a major distributor and the controversies it is causing in Israel.
The feature film, which accuses Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip, relies in particular on testimonies from IDF soldiers to denounce the Israeli army’s policy regarding collateral damage during the war.
Presented at the New York Film Festival, the documentary was first screened at Manhattan’s IFC Center cinema, where several showings were sold out. In response to this enthusiasm, its distribution was expanded to 85 theaters across about thirty American cities.
According to box office figures, “NAZA” generated $298,240 in revenue during its second weekend, bringing its total to around $504,000. A notable achievement for a Hebrew-language documentary distributed independently.
This success comes as the film is provoking strong reactions in Israel. Several voices are calling for measures against its directors as well as investigations into people who participated in the documentary.
Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor had already participated in the making of “No Other Land,” a documentary focused on the situation of Palestinians in the Masafer Yatta region in the West Bank. Awarded the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2025, this previous film also enjoyed commercial success in the United States despite difficulties in finding a distributor.
In France, “NAZA” is being released for a limited two-day run on October 12 and October 13.
Source: www.i24news.tv
