Gaza documentary by Israeli directors wins special prize at Venice

VENICE: A chilling new documentary about Israel’s AI-assisted killing of civilians in Gaza by two Israeli directors won a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. NAZA , by Oscar-winning directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, had been tipped by some critics for the top Golden Lion prize for best film after a record-breaking 25-minute ovation at its premiere on Thursday. The top prize went to Danish filmmaker May el Toukhy’s post-war drama Woman Unknown, with its star Mathilde Arcel also taking best actress honours in a rare double victory. Receiving the award for the Gaza documentary, Abraham said over the 10 days since the festival began, “Israel killed six Palestinian children in Gaza”.

“The Israeli intelligence officers we spoke with talked to us how this mass killing is systemic : not by accident, but by design, actions of murder and policies that are based on the total dehumanisation of Palestinians,” he told the audience. The special jury prize is given out every year by the jury to recognise an outstanding work, but it is below the Golden and Silver Lions in the pecking order. Abraham and Szor used conversations with 24 Israeli military or intelligence whistleblowers who spoke on condition that their identities be protected. The 80-minute film left many audience members stunned, with interviewees describing how they felt like they worked in a killing “factory” or a lethal video game while using Israel’s AI-powered targeting systems to bombard Gaza. It was described as an “urgent, gut-punch” by magazine Screen , while The Hollywood Reporter said it inspired “outrage… indignity as well. Most certainly disgust, on a profound level, for the current Israeli regime”. Abraham said it was “really, really, especially important for us that Israelis…