NAZA Documentary Breaks Box Office Records in Global Cinematic Run
The award-winning film about the war in Gaza has attracted over 1.5 million viewers across 47 territories, setting new benchmarks for documentary attendance in several countries.
By Hiroshi Ferrari ·
NAZA, an investigative documentary detailing Israel’s mass killing of civilians in Gaza, has drawn a worldwide audience of more than 1.5 million people since its theatrical release last month. As of Friday, 6 November, the film had reached 1,547,033 viewers globally, securing its position as one of the most-watched documentary films with a cinema release in 2026.
The project is directed by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, with production support from the Guardian. The film gained significant momentum after its premiere at the Venice film festival in September, where it won the Special Jury Prize. The screening was marked by a record-breaking 24.5-minute standing ovation, and the work has since received widespread critical acclaim.
The documentary attracted further international attention following political responses from Israel. The country’s culture minister threatened to strip the directors of their citizenship, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the identification and prosecution of the individuals interviewed for the film. These moves highlighted the high stakes surrounding the release of the project.
The film has now been shown in cinemas across 47 territories. A free global streaming release on theguardian.com is scheduled for early December. The Guardian is currently preparing the online video release to accommodate a large global audience, including the addition of multiple language options.
NAZA has achieved historic box office results in Italy, where it was released in September. With 717,517 admissions, the film is now the third most-watched documentary with a theatrical release in the country’s history. It trails only Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 and The March of the Penguins in total attendance figures.
Interest has been particularly strong in other parts of Europe as well. In the UK and Ireland, the film has garnered a total of 102,508 admissions so far. In the Benelux region, distributor Cherry Pickers has recorded 132,323 admissions across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Germany also saw significant turnout, with 83,355 spectators attending screenings in a cultural landscape deeply divided by the war and government policy.
In North America, the documentary has clocked 83,673 admissions across the US and Canada. It was initially released on 30 September through a self-release model before being picked up by distributor Neon in October. Earlier this month, the film won the Critics’ Choice documentary award for best political documentary.
France presented a unique challenge for the release due to strict regulations regarding films that are also available for streaming online. Consequently, NAZA was shown in cinemas for a limited 48-hour period only. Despite the short window, the film recorded more than 82,000 admissions over nearly 500 screenings, ranking at the top of the box office on both days.
Audience reactions in cinemas have been described as profound. Multiple reports have noted that viewers often sit in stunned silence as the credits roll. A review published by Radio France captured this atmosphere, stating that rarely does a film screening end with such quietude when the lights come back on.
