A group defending documentary makers is standing behind Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the creators of a film that won at the Venice Film Festival, after Israeli officials began a campaign of threats against them.
The nonprofit placed a letter on its website calling on the Israeli government to halt what it calls a “campaign of threats”. The letter’s target is the directors whose film strongly criticizes Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza, a conflict in which tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed. The letter asks Israeli officials to withdraw their threats against the filmmakers and to put an end to the public campaign of intimidation directed at them.
The Film’s Claims And The Attacks On Its Directors
Saturday marks the North American premiere of NAZA at the New York Film Festival. The film draws on the account of 24 Israeli military intelligence officers and soldiers, whose names remain hidden to preserve their anonymity. According to whistleblowers, the IDF set targets for acceptable numbers of civilian Palestinian deaths in attacks on suspected Hamas militants, including one case where authorization for killing up to 500 civilians was given in pursuit of one target. The IDF has denied the allegations contained in the film.
The Culture Minister has demanded the directors be punished for treason and has moved to revoke their citizenship. The Prime Minister has put forward bills that would strip citizenship from anyone who “slanders IDF soldiers” and increase defamation damages by twentyfold.
The letter also cites a pattern of intimidation. Graffiti branding the filmmakers “traitors” has appeared, and protesters have gathered outside the home of Szor’s parents. Israeli filmmakers and human rights groups have warned that the targeting could lead to violence.
The Legal Case The IDA Makes
The IDA notes that Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights imposes legal obligations on Israel. Restrictions on expression must be set by law and must be necessary and proportionate to a legitimate aim. The UN Human Rights Committee treats the protection of journalistic sources as part of freedom of expression. The IDA argues that the filmmakers’ right to protect their sources must be respected in this case.
The letter urges the government to step back from its threats to strip Abraham’s and Szor’ of his citizenship, cancel the proposed legislation, and stop any changes to public film funding that punish filmmakers for critical work or international recognition. It also asks every person involved in the public debate to reject any attempt to intimidate the filmmakers and their families.
The Israel Film Council has presented a plan to remove the credit for international festival selection.
Signatories And The Protest Planned
More than 250 people have signed the letter, among them actors Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo, alongside Oscar winners Laura Poitras, Rob Epstein, Dan Cogan, Alex Gibney, Roger Ross Williams, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Orlando von Einsiedel, Dan Lindsay, and Ezra Edelman, as well as Oscar nominees Geeta Gandbhir, Liz Garbus, Connie Field, Guy Davidi, Rémi Grellety, Kellen Quinn, Joe Berlinger, Kirstine Barfod, Laura Nix, Sam Bisbee, Alexander Nanau, Joslyn Barnes, Raoul Peck, Kirby Dick, Amy Ziering, Carl Deal, and Tia Lessin. The signatories also include former Sundance Film Festival director Tabitha Jackson, filmmakers Kirsten Johnson, Susan Lacy, Robert Bahar, Alison Klayman, producer Ina Fichman, and many others.
A protest against NAZA is planned for Saturday outside Lincoln Center, where the film screens. Organizers intend to show documented footage from the October 7 massacre alongside material challenging the film’s claims. A nor’easter storm moving up the east coast may complicate any plans for an outdoor demonstration.
The IDA’s Executive Director Signed The Letter
The statement came from the website of the organization’s executive director, Dominic Asmall Willsdon. The document was posted on the IDA’, posted there as a public document.
The protest at Lincoln Center on Saturday will run alongside the film’s North American premiere. The protest will feature documented footage from the October 7 massacre alongside material challenging the film’s claims.
Several issues make the demonstration difficult to hold. A nor’easter storm moving up the east coast could force organizers to cancel the event or move it indoors. The gathering is also being closely watched by Israeli filmmakers and human rights groups, who have warned that the targeting of Szor’s home could lead to violence.
The makers of the film have kept the names of their witnesses secret, a decision that the IDA letter insists must be preserved. The IDF has rejected the allegations contained in the work.
The IDA letter presents the argument for free speech in simple terms. It points to Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that any limits on expression must be established by law and must be necessary and proportionate to a legitimate aim. The letter also notes the UN Human Rights Committee’s acknowledgment of the protection of journalistic sources as an element of freedom of expression.
Whether the support endures will be put to the test at the next demonstration at Lincoln Center.
The signatures serve as a reminder of how many documentary professionals have rallied to their defense.
Saturday’s New York Film Festival North American premiere is set to take place at the same time as a protest, but a storm threatens to disrupt those plans.
Two filmmakers have drawn a storm of official threats, and the IDA letter stands as a public statement of support for them. The signatories are proof of how much of the documentary community has rallied to their defense.
The rally at Lincoln Center will show whether that backing lasts.
“IDA calls on the Israeli government to withdraw its threats against filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. We also call for an end to the public campaign of intimidation against them.”
The letter from IDA is a demand for action, not an expression of sorrow. It identifies the dangers, the rights in question, and the government that has imposed them. The list of names behind it shows how widely that threat has struck the documentary field. The gathering at Lincoln Center will show whether that support endures.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs the group defending documentary makers and the filmmakers themselves, and is against the Israeli officials who launched a campaign of threats against them. The paper opposes any government action that would punish artists for what they have said or shown. The campaign of threats against Abraham and Szor is the kind of government pressure the paper is always against.
The filmmakers are defending their sources, and the letter from the IDA makes the legal case that their right to protect those sources must be respected. The paper agrees that the IDF’s denial of the film’s allegations does not justify punishing the filmmakers.
Saturday’s protest at Lincoln Center will test whether the support for the filmmakers endures. The storm moving up the east coast may force organizers to cancel or move the demonstration indoors. The IDA’s letter is a demand for action, not an expression of sorrow, and the list of signatories shows how widely that threat has struck the documentary field.
Key Facts
- NAZA is a documentary whose North American premiere takes place Saturday at the New York Film Festival
- The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival
- The IDA letter has gained more than 250 signatories
- The protest against the film is planned for Saturday outside Lincoln Center
- A nor’easter storm is moving up the east coast and may force organizers to cancel or move the demonstration indoors
Source material: “International Documentary Association Calls On Israeli Government To Halt “Campaign Of Threats” Against ‘NAZA’ Directors,” Deadline.
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