Entertainment

NAZA producer details backlash against directors at London festival

Jonah VillalbaPublished 12m ago2 min readBased on 7 sources
NAZA producer details backlash against directors at London festival
source:labiennale.org

Producer James Wilson has spoken at the BFI London Film Festival about the backlash faced by the directors of NAZA, a documentary about Gaza, in comments reported on 8 October. Wilson said Israeli film-makers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor had faced what he called a "hysterical, vituperative, aggressive" response from members of the Israeli government and Israeli politicians, according to Variety. He was addressing the reaction during an appearance at the London festival.

Wilson said the directors had faced threats including threats to revoke their citizenship. He said political elites in their home country had threatened them with charges of treason and defamation, Variety reported. The International Documentary Association has separately called on the Israeli government to withdraw its threats against Abraham and Szor, according to the association.

Wilson said the backlash had been very difficult and stressful and horrible and scary for the two directors. They are safe. He added that they are ok.

NAZA is directed by Abraham and Szor, who previously made No Other Land. It premiered in Venice after being added to the festival's main competition line-up, the section that competes for the top prizes. The premiere received a near-25-minute standing ovation, Variety reported.

The film is a documentary about Gaza by the two Israeli film-makers, according to The Guardian. The directors have said they made it out of a sense of obligation to use their position as Israelis to examine the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians, according to the Venice Biennale.

Wilson produced the film alongside Harry Davies and Lindsay Poulton, with Ekaterina Ochagavia and Noa Yachot as co-producers and Jonathan Glazer as an executive producer, according to Variety. A global cinema release has been announced in more than 50 locations, The Guardian reported.

For audiences following the festival run, the cinema rollout is the next stage where the film will meet the wider public.

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