A documentary examining Israel's targeting systems in Gaza has claimed the top position at the Italian box office, outperforming the superhero blockbuster Avengers Endgame: Encore in its opening weekend. The film, directed by Oscar-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, generated substantial audience interest across the country, leading distributors to extend its theatrical run indefinitely.
NAZA opened across 515 Italian cinemas on Monday with €451,872 in revenue and approximately 61,000 admissions on its first day alone. By Tuesday evening, the documentary had accumulated roughly €1.1 million in box office takings. In contrast, the rerelease of the 2019 Marvel film—which features a new introduction and additional post-credits sequence—earned €356,000 over the same period, with just under 20,000 admissions.
Originally scheduled for a three-day theatrical window, the film's distribution company announced plans to maintain screenings as long as cinemas request them. According to box office data through 29 September, NAZA had reached €1,096,816 in revenue with 146,720 admissions, with final figures still pending. More than 150 additional venues across Italy have already extended their programming schedules.
The documentary's success in Italy reflects the country's receptiveness to the project, which won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival earlier in September. Its premiere at the festival concluded with a 25-minute standing ovation—a record for the event. The film's reception has been notably varied across different screening locations. In some packed cinemas, audience members displayed Palestinian flags and applauded at the conclusion. At the Tibur cinema in Rome's San Lorenzo district, however, viewers maintained complete silence throughout the 80-minute runtime and remained quiet even after the final frame.
A staff member at the Tibur reported that the audience appeared profoundly affected by the material.
In general, the public was in shock as they watched. There was silence throughout the whole film. Even at the end, nobody spoke.The cinema extended its NAZA programming for at least another week in response to demand.
What draws audiences to the film?
Simone Gialdini, president of Anec, the Italian trade association representing cinema owners, characterised the turnout as reflecting both the film's political subject matter and broader public concern. While acknowledging that activists sought to demonstrate solidarity regarding
a terrible situation that has been dragging on for years, Gialdini noted that the audience extended well beyond typical activist circles.
It is an audience that knows what it is going to see and is aware of the tragedy we are living through.The viewers represented diverse age groups and backgrounds not ordinarily associated with documentary screenings on this subject.
Andrea Romeo, founder of I Wonder Pictures, the film's Italian distributor, stated that
as long as theatres want to show it, NAZA will continue to be screened.
What does the documentary contain?
The film presents testimony from 24 anonymised Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers who describe the artificial intelligence-powered surveillance systems employed to identify and select targets. The project's title derives from an acronym used within Israeli intelligence circles. Production involved secret filming conducted on rooftops in Tel Aviv and draws on investigative reporting published between 2023 and 2025 by multiple outlets, including +972 Magazine, an Israeli-Palestinian publication, and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call.
The documentary's creation has generated significant controversy within Israel. At the film's North American premiere on Saturday, directors Abraham and Szor addressed escalating efforts by Israeli officials to revoke their citizenship in response to the project.
Our country is doing so much to hide these systems. It's not a world that is open even to the Israeli public.Abraham added:
These crimes that you saw are ongoing. They're ongoing because it's what our country is doing, and because of what your country is supporting and funding.
The documentary's international rollout continues with screenings scheduled across more than 50 territories over the coming month. The film will become freely available online in mid-November.
What happens next for the film?
NAZA opened in New York on Wednesday, with a wider North American release beginning on 9 October. Screenings are scheduled to continue expanding across Italy, with venues including Rome's Cinema Barberini programming the film on 3 and 4 October. The combination of critical recognition, audience demand, and international distribution suggests the documentary will maintain theatrical presence across multiple markets in the months ahead.
The film's success in Italy represents a significant moment for documentary cinema addressing contemporary geopolitical conflict. Its box office performance demonstrates substantial public appetite for investigative filmmaking on contested subjects, even—or perhaps especially—when that material proves emotionally demanding and politically divisive.
