Dozens of Israeli Americans and members of local Jewish communities protested the New York Film Festival premiere of NAZA outside Lincoln Center, projecting Oct. 7 footage on LED trucks and hearing testimony from survivors. The Israeli‑American Council said it was not seeking to ban the film but urged that screenings be paired with survivor testimony, panels and contextual materials. NAZA, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, won a Special Jury Prize at Venice and opens in U.S. theaters on Oct. 9. The filmmakers said threats will not stop the film's international rollout.
Israeli‑American Protesters Screen Oct. 7 Footage Outside NAZA Premiere at Lincoln Center
Israeli Americans Protest Outside ‘NAZA’ New York Premiere by Screening Oct. 7 Attacks Footage
Dozens of Israeli Americans and members of local Jewish communities gathered outside Lincoln Center on Saturday to protest the New York Film Festival premiere of the documentary NAZA.
The film, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, was shot from Tel Aviv rooftops at night and — the filmmakers say — probes "the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians" tied to Israeli military operations in Gaza.
At the rally, protesters mounted LED screens on trucks parked near the premiere and projected footage of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. Nova festival survivors Rom El‑Hai and Shalev Biton addressed the crowd and recounted their experiences from that day.
Calls For Context And Survivor Testimony
Organizers from the Israeli‑American Council (IAC) said they were not trying to censor the film but urged that screenings be paired with survivor testimony, contextual panels and additional materials so audiences could hear a range of perspectives.
"We're not here to stop the film from being shown — everyone has freedom of speech in the United States," IAC co‑chair Tal Shuster said. "We are asking that all the facts be presented: invite a survivor, hold a panel, give people the full context."
Shuster and other speakers reiterated figures they attributed to Oct. 7 — saying 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were kidnapped — and said the group had launched a petition urging cultural institutions, festivals and cinemas nationwide to accompany NAZA screenings with panels and survivor testimony.
"We are not here to silence a movie, but we believe people should watch, ask difficult questions, challenge what they see and decide for themselves," Noa Peri‑Jensch, the IAC's chief communities officer, said. "Audiences also deserve to hear perspectives and facts that this film may not present."
Festival Response And Filmmakers' Statement
NAZA won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month and is scheduled to begin its U.S. theatrical release on Oct. 9, followed by a global rollout.
Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor said they made the film out of what they described as an obligation to examine systems behind civilian deaths in Gaza. They added that threats from the Israeli government and death threats have not deterred them from distributing the film internationally.
The protest at Lincoln Center was peaceful and focused on urging festival organizers and venues to present additional context alongside the documentary so audiences can hear survivors' accounts and a range of perspectives.
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