Gaza documentary 'NAZA' surpasses $500k at box office without distributor

Gaza documentary 'NAZA' surpasses $500k in North America box office amid protest over portrayal of Israel’s military

The Gaza documentary NAZA has surpassed $500,000 in projected North American box office takings despite being released without a traditional distributor, as screenings have drawn protests over its portrayal of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

Directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who also worked on the 2024 Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, NAZA expanded to 85 locations across 30 North American cities during its second weekend in cinemas.

The film was expected to earn $378,250 over the four-day weekend, averaging $4,450 per screen. Its domestic total was projected to reach $504,074 by Monday, according to figures reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

NAZA premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it received the special jury prize and a reported standing ovation lasting more than 20 minutes.

The documentary is being released independently in the United States with support from The Guardian and MK2, with further cinema screenings planned in the coming weeks.

The film has also attracted criticism. The Israeli-American Council organised a protest outside a screening at the Laemmle NoHo 7 cinema in North Hollywood on Friday.

The organisation had previously arranged protests during the documentary’s premiere at the New York Film Festival in September.

IAC chief operating officer Aya Shechter said in a statement, “Our message is clear: Wherever lies are told about Israel, we will show up with the truth.”

Earlier this month, the Israeli Defense Force criticised the documentary, describing it as “a distorted, misleading and disingenuous picture of the IDF's target planning and striking process.”

Despite the controversy, NAZA has received a 100 per cent critics’ approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, Jordan Mintzer described the film as a “sober and thoroughly documented bombshell of an exposé”.