Naza — English subs

On the rooftops of Tel Aviv, far from the war zone, Israeli military personnel hold secret conversations under the cover of night. Step by step, the film reveals how decisions are made within the military and intelligence services about who becomes a target, which technologies and procedures are employed, and how many civilian casualties an attack may cost. Dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of Palestinian civilians can be deemed an acceptable price for eliminating a single target. The film thus raises a painful question: how can the killing of innocent civilians become so normalized within a military apparatus that it is no longer regarded as a moral or legal issue?

The title refers to Nezek Agavi, the Israeli military term for “collateral damage,” denoting the expected number of civilian casualties resulting from an airstrike. The term thus symbolizes the dehumanization embedded deep within the system: civilian deaths are not a tragic side effect, but an anticipated and accepted part of military operations.

Naza premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize.