'NAZA' Crosses $500,000 Without a Distributor as Israel Protests Mount

The self-distributed documentary "NAZA" will cross the $500,000 mark at the domestic box office over two weeks of release, reaching $504,074 by Monday — a strong result for any nonfiction film, and a striking one for a documentary that major indie studios declined to pick up.

The film, a blistering examination of the systems the Israeli government has used to kill Palestinians, premiered at New York's IFC Center, where it earned more than $125,000 in its first eight days. It then expanded to 85 theaters across 30 cities in North America, adding $298,240 over the three-day weekend and an estimated $378,200 over the four-day holiday.

Distribution is being led by the film's producers, The Guardian and mk2. They have said the documentary will begin streaming for free on The Guardian's website in November.

Who made 'NAZA'?

"NAZA" comes from Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham, the team behind "No Other Land," the Oscar-winning documentary about Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. The new film features interviews with anonymous IDF sources who detail how AI and phone surveillance have been used to identify targets in Gaza, and how Israel's strikes have caused the mass killings of Palestinian civilians.

The film electrified audiences at Venice, where it received a 25-minute ovation and won the Special Jury Prize. Critics have widely embraced it, and it is now seen as a top contender at the Oscars.

How has Israel's government responded?

Top officials in Israel have condemned the film. IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir pledged to use "every tool at our disposal" to halt its release. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested he will strip the people interviewed in the film of their Israeli citizenship.

Israel's culture minister went further, accusing Szor and Abraham of "treason" and suggesting their citizenship could be revoked.

What does the box office mean?

The commercial failure that distributors feared has not materialized. Arthouse audiences have connected with the film despite — or alongside — its politically charged subject, proving there is a paying audience for a documentary on a hot-button topic that established studios would not touch.

The parallel with "No Other Land" is direct. That film was also self-distributed after distributors passed, and it went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary. With free streaming on The Guardian's site set for November and Oscar talk building, "NAZA" appears positioned to follow the same path from industry pariah to awards contender.