Entertainment

Protesters gather at Los Angeles screening as Gaza documentary NAZA expands

Jonah VillalbaPublished 26m ago3 min readBased on 7 sources
Protesters gather at Los Angeles screening as Gaza documentary NAZA expands
Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Dozens of Israeli-Americans and members of the Jewish community gathered outside the Laemmle NoHo 7 in North Hollywood on Friday, 9 October, during a screening of the Gaza documentary NAZA, as the film expanded in cinemas in the United States, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Los Angeles protest followed the film's US theatrical release on Friday. The rollout had started on 30 September, reported by Variety, with an expansion into Los Angeles and other key US cities on 9 October before a wider national release, reported by The Guardian.

Outside the cinema, protesters held signs reading "Learn the Facts. Know the Truth." and "Movies Have Editors. History Does Not." Others displayed images documenting the 7 October attack alongside posters calling for the return of hostages.

NAZA is directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. It is built around testimonies from Israeli soldiers about operations in Gaza, reported by Reuters. The title refers to a military term for expected civilian deaths in strikes. The film accuses the Israeli army of mass civilian killing in Gaza, reported by the BBC.

The documentary received the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. It premiered in September at the New York Film Festival, where its screening was also met by protesters organised by the Israeli-American Council. Aya Shechter is the chief operating officer of that organisation.

That New York protest included speeches from Nova festival survivors Rom El-Hai and Shalev Biton. The film's theatrical release is in partnership with MK2. Co-director Yuval Abraham has said the film will be released online in November, reported by NPR.

The release has drawn strong criticism from Israeli officials. An Israeli minister threatened to revoke the citizenship of the filmmakers, and officials said the film could be treasonous, reported by the BBC. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped up threats against the directors in September, reported by Reuters.

For audiences, this means the cinema rollout is now the main way to see the film before streaming.

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