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Why Gaza Documentary ‘NAZA’ Drew Protest at the Hamptons International Film Festival

A protest outside the Hamptons International Film Festival screening of NAZA brought disagreements over anonymous sources, wartime context, and documentary programming into public view.
Opened Runtime4 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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Protesters gathered outside Sag Harbor Cinema on October 3, 2026, as the Hamptons International Film Festival screened NAZA, a documentary about allegations concerning Israeli intelligence operations in Gaza. The dispute centers on how the film uses anonymous sources, what context it gives the war, and whether a festival should screen work that critics consider one-sided. HIFF proceeded with the screening.

What is NAZA about?

The Hamptons International Film Festival’s guide lists NAZA as an 80-minute UK documentary feature released in 2026, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. It describes the film as an investigation of allegations about Israeli intelligence operations in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attacks. The guide says it was shot at night on Tel Aviv rooftops and lists The Guardian and Jim Wilson among its producers. HIFF’s film guide notes that the film’s depiction of events has prompted controversy and public debate.

The title refers to the Hebrew military acronym nezek agavi, translated as “collateral damage.” The East Hampton Star describes it as referring to civilian deaths or property damage caused during military operations. The Star’s account of the dispute reports that the documentary features 24 anonymous Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers; The Atlantic likewise discusses 24 interviewees.

What happened at the Hamptons festival?

East End Jews for Israel planned a rally outside Sag Harbor Cinema for 6 p.m. on October 3, according to The East Hampton Star. News 12 New York reported that protesters gathered outside the cinema while the festival screened the film. Neither account establishes a protest attendance count, so the size of the crowd cannot be stated reliably.

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The Star’s October 1 report also listed a second screening for October 9 at East Hampton Cinema. The current HIFF guide instead lists an October 9 screening at 4:15 p.m. at East Hampton Regal UA. Because the venue descriptions differ, check the live festival listing for current screening details.

Why did some local groups call for cancellation?

The Jewish Center of the Hamptons called on HIFF to cancel the screening. As reported by The East Hampton Star, its open letter argued that the film relies on 24 anonymous sources whose faces and voices are altered, making their claims difficult for viewers to verify. The letter also objected that the documentary includes no Israeli official, military voice, or dissenting expert, and said its placement in HIFF’s Films of Conflict and Resolution program presented a single narrative without an answer.

East End Jews for Israel’s rally flyer called the film biased and scurrilous in its portrayal of Israeli forces. News 12 quoted protest leader Ido Cohen, identified as an Israeli-American Council community member, saying: “The goal of the protest was for a proud Jewish-American and Israeli to stand outside every place this film screens and say the truth of our people: that the IDF is the most moral army in the world, and no film, no stage, can blur that.” That statement expresses Cohen’s view, not an independently established finding about the film or the military.

How do the filmmakers and critics frame the evidence?

The film’s reporting foundation is described differently by its supporters and critics. The Associated Press reported that NAZA builds on reporting published from 2023 to 2025 by +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian. The Guardian said the documentary is based on more than three years of investigative journalism and that its interviewees are confidential journalistic sources. In its statement, the newspaper said: “The testimonies it contains are true and we believe they deserve to be heard. The interviews were given by confidential journalistic sources.” That is the producer’s defense of the film and its sources; the materials cited here do not independently adjudicate the underlying allegations.

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The Atlantic’s Gal Beckerman offered a critical assessment, arguing that the anonymous interviewees’ claims were not corroborated within the film and that it provides little setup of the October 7 attacks. Those are a critic’s judgments about the documentary’s evidence and structure. They differ from the filmmakers’ and producer’s account of confidential sourcing and prior reporting.

The central disagreement is therefore not simply whether anonymous sources can be used. It is whether their claims are sufficiently corroborated and contextualized for a documentary audience, and whether the film makes its evidentiary basis clear enough for viewers to assess allegations that remain contested.

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What did HIFF say about screening the film?

HIFF went ahead with the screenings. Randy Mastro, identified by The East Hampton Star as co-chairman of the festival’s board, defended the festival’s programming approach: “We will once again screen documentary films that are controversial, even provocative, but we will also present an expansive film program that includes diverse viewpoints.” The Star also reported that the festival planned a Sunday panel on media depictions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The episode puts two responsibilities in tension: a festival’s role in presenting contested documentary work, and the demand from critics and community members that a film’s sourcing, context, and framing be scrutinized. Screening NAZA does not establish the truth or falsity of its allegations; the public dispute reflects competing claims about what evidence and context viewers need.

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Quick Recap

What is established—and what remains unsettled?

  • Established: HIFF scheduled NAZA, an 80-minute documentary, and proceeded with its October 3 screening at Sag Harbor Cinema amid a planned protest.
  • Attributed criticism: The Jewish Center of the Hamptons challenged the film’s anonymous sources, lack of opposing voices, and program placement; The Atlantic criticized its corroboration and context.
  • Attributed defense: The Guardian describes the interviewees as confidential journalistic sources and says the film rests on more than three years of investigative journalism.
  • Not established in the available reporting: An independent audit of the interview claims, a protest headcount, or an audience poll.

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