At the 55th Kyiv International Film Festival “Molodist,” NAZA, a documentary film by Israelis Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shor, will be shown. It has already been awarded in Venice, the Israeli Minister of Culture suggested revoking the authors’ citizenship, and Benjamin Netanyahu demanded the identification of the military personnel who gave interviews. Now the scandal has come to Kyiv, where for the fifth year of full-scale war, they are filming their own documentaries about Russian crimes.
Author: Anton Pshedynsky
Why the film will be shown in Kyiv
“Molodist” will take place from October 24 to November 1, 2026. NAZA is included in the “Festival of Festivals” program — a non-competitive screening of five films previously presented at international screenings. The film’s participation is confirmed by the program announcement. The exact date of the screening has not yet been announced.
For readers in Israel: “Molodist” is one of the oldest Ukrainian film festivals. It appeared in Kyiv in 1970 as a student screening and later became an international platform, primarily for young directors. This year, screenings will take place at the “Zhovten” cinema and the House of Cinema.
In a comment to NV, Molodist programmer Bohdan Zhuk explained why the team decided to include such a controversial film in the festival program. In his opinion, the film clearly shows why events in Gaza are called “genocide” worldwide. He also compared this film to the most important documentaries about the Russian-Ukrainian war.
“The genocide of Palestinians in Gaza remains a controversial topic, and this film very clearly shows why it is genocide if someone is inclined to doubt or deny it. Like the most important documentaries about the Russian-Ukrainian war, this film should be seen by everyone. It is one of the most significant films this year — not in terms of high artistic achievements, but in documenting the horrific crimes that are still being committed. It is clear that our and their wars, history, and set of contexts are completely different, so it is not about comparison. But if someone is outraged by why Palestine receives more attention in the world – this film can at least partially explain it,” he noted.
Who speaks in the film and what it’s about
NAZA lasts 80 minutes. The basis of the film is 24 anonymous interviews with Israeli military personnel and intelligence officers, mostly filmed at night on the rooftops of Tel Aviv. The interlocutors talk about choosing targets for strikes on Gaza, using analytical systems, and assessing potential civilian casualties.
The title refers to the Hebrew “nezek agavi” (נזק אגבי) — “collateral damage.” According to the film’s participants, expected civilian losses could be indicated by a number. How reliable individual stories are and what exactly the speakers knew remains a matter of debate.
The war in Gaza began after a terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, the mass killing of residents, and the taking of hostages. On the third anniversary of the tragedy and the memory of the victims, NANews wrote separately. This fact does not negate the need to address accusations against the army, but without it, the history of the war would be incomplete.
IDF disputes accusations
The Israel Defense Forces rejected the film’s conclusions. According to its statement, military rules prohibit intentionally attacking civilians, and final decisions on strikes are made by people, not artificial intelligence. The IDF disputed the competence of some anonymous interlocutors and the claim of a coordinated strike with the alleged death of 500 civilians.
The Guardian, which participated in the production of NAZA, countered: over three years, journalists interviewed more than 100 sources, including officers familiar with the target approval procedure. The editorial team claims to have cross-referenced testimonies with documents and information about specific strikes.
However, Israeli journalists raised questions about the work itself. The Times of Israel pointed out instances where English subtitles sound more categorical than the words spoken in Hebrew and the lack of verifiable details in some episodes. This is not a refutation of the entire film but a serious reason not to accept every testimony without verification.
NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency
From Venice to threats of criminal charges
On September 12, NAZA received a special jury prize at the Venice Festival. After that, Israeli Minister of Culture Miki Zohar spoke about revoking the directors’ citizenship. The minister himself is not authorized to make such a decision. We have already explained the legal mechanism in detail in NANews material about the petition against the authors.
On October 12, Netanyahu demanded the identification of the interview participants and verification of the grounds for criminal prosecution, primarily possible violations of rules regarding handling classified information. This is a demand for an investigation, not a verdict. There is no confirmation that the directors were stripped of citizenship.
The film has already moved beyond the dispute between the authors and the IDF: it is being discussed in the international press, awarded at festivals, and now included in the screening program in Ukraine. But in Kyiv, another question has been added to the issue of the film’s credibility — how appropriate it is to compare it with documentary films about the Ukrainian war.
It seems to me that it is more important here not to appoint a winner in the dispute in advance, but to demand accuracy from everyone: from the authors — in evidence, from the army — in responses to accusations, from the festival organizers — in explaining their comparisons. The film can be supported or rejected; its claims still need to be verified.