Gaza Documentary 'NAZA' Overtakes Marvel Re-release in Italy

Key points

• NAZA grossed approximately €1.1 million in its first two days in Italy, beating 'Avengers: Endgame Encore,' which earned €356,000 in the same period.
• The film, which won a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival, was originally planned for a three-day release but has been extended due to high demand.
• NAZA features interviews with 24 anonymized Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers, detailing the use of AI-powered surveillance systems to select targets in Gaza.
• The documentary is produced by The Guardian and JW Films, with Jonathan Glazer serving as executive producer and MK2 handling international distribution.
• The film is set to release in over 50 territories, with a U.S. rollout beginning in New York on Wednesday, followed by a wider release on October 9.

Background

The 'Avengers: Endgame Encore' re-release had previously topped the domestic box office, earning $11.2 million in its first day and $26 million overall, with 52% of that revenue coming from its new 'Infinity Vision' certified screens. The re-release was part of a strategy to bridge the 2019 finale with the upcoming 'Avengers: Doomsday,' which opens December 18. The success of 'Endgame Encore' validated Disney's branding strategy, but 'NAZA' has now overtaken it in Italy, highlighting the strong public interest in the documentary's subject matter.

How outlets are covering it

Variety and The Guardian both report that 'NAZA' has topped the Italian box office, with Variety noting that the film's strong response in terms of advance ticket sales and initial screenings has led to its run being extended beyond the originally scheduled dates. The Guardian adds that the film's run at the Tibur, a small cinema in Rome, has been extended for at least another week, and that more than 150 other cinemas in Italy have extended programming. Vanity Fair, on the other hand, focuses on the controversy surrounding the film's premiere in New York, noting that the Israeli-American Council organized a rally outside the screening, and that the directors have received death threats and calls for them to be stripped of their Israeli citizenship. The IDF has issued a statement saying that it 'categorically rejects' the allegations put forth in 'NAZA.'

Why it matters

The success of 'NAZA' in the Italian box office highlights the strong public interest in the documentary's subject matter, which explores the Israeli military's use of AI to target civilians in Gaza. The film's strong performance, despite being a documentary, suggests that audiences are willing to engage with difficult and controversial topics, particularly when they are presented in a compelling and well-researched manner. The controversy surrounding the film's premiere in New York also underscores the polarizing nature of the subject matter, with some viewing the film as a necessary exposure of war crimes, while others see it as a smear against the Israeli military. The film's global rollout, including a free release on The Guardian website in late November, suggests that it has the potential to reach a wide audience and spark further debate about the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

What to watch

The film is set to release in over 50 territories, with a U.S. rollout beginning in New York on Wednesday, followed by a wider release on October 9. The film will be made freely available on The Guardian website in late November. The directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, have addressed the escalating threats by Israeli officials to strip them of their citizenship for making the film, and have emphasized the importance of the film in exposing the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.