Gaza documentary NAZA tops Italian box office ahead of 'Avengers Endgame: Encore'

Award-winning Gaza documentary NAZA, directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, has beaten Avengers Endgame: Encore to top the Italian box office at number one. 

The documentary, which examines the mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza through testimonies from Israeli military and intelligence personnel, topped the Italian box office during its first two days in cinemas. 

Its debut marked its first theatrical release following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, with ticket sales reaching nearly €1.1 million ($1.24 million) by Tuesday, according to Italian box office tracker Cinetel. 

Meanwhile, Avengers Endgame: Encore, an extended re-release of the 2019 Marvel film, grossed €356,000 ($404,000) over the same period in Italy. 

NAZA was initially released as a three-day cinema event across 515 cinemas in Italy, with many screenings selling out.

However, strong demand has led to screenings continuing beyond the initial run.

More than 150 cinemas have extended the film’s programming, according to The Guardian, which produced the documentary, with further extensions expected. 

Interest in Italy was already high ahead of the film’s release after it won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, with a premiere that was followed by a 25-minute standing ovation, a festival record. 

NAZA features testimony from 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel whose identities, voices and appearances were digitally altered for allegedly for their protection.  

The interviews were conducted over three years and focus on the use of AI-powered surveillance and targeting systems in Gaza, including how targets were identified and struck despite expected civilian casualties. 

According to reports about the documentary, some of those interviewed describe witnessing Palestinian civilians being killed and residential areas used as shelters being set ablaze.

The film’s title is derived from an acronym used by Israel’s intelligence service to indicate the number of civilians expected to die in an airstrike, according to The Guardian. 

The documentary has faced significant backlash from senior Israeli officials since its Venice win.

Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar called for Abraham and Szor to have their citizenship revoked, accusing them of “treason against the state”. 

“I will act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators for treason against the state,” Zohar posted on X. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently said he would pursue legislation allowing citizenship to be revoked in cases involving people who "defame" Israeli soldiers abroad.  

Netanyahu also proposed a second bill that would increase damages in defamation cases involving the Israeli military or state. 

Simiarly, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said the military was examining possible legal measures over the film.

Israeli media subsequently reported that the military was considering a leak investigation and seeking assistance from the Shin Bet. 

Abraham and Szor were among the co-directors of the 2025 Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, which focused on Israeli settler violence and the destruction of Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank.