Neon Backs ‘NAZA’ for Wider Release After Film’s Success
WHO:
IndieWire - *NAZA* was produced by The Guardian with James Wilson’s JW Films banner, in association with Placeholder Films and Unseen Hand; Jonathan Glazer was an executive producer.
The Hollywood Reporter - Neon is distributing *NAZA*, a documentary by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who also directed *No Other Land*.
The Hollywood Reporter - The film’s producing entities include The Guardian, international sales company MK2, director Jonathan Glazer and his producing partner James Wilson.
Deadline - Neon joined The Guardian, MK2, James Wilson and Jonathan Glazer on *NAZA*.
Variety - Neon joined The Guardian, MK2, James Wilson and Jonathan Glazer to bring *NAZA* to wider audiences.
The Hollywood Reporter - The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) described the film as “distorted, misleading and disingenuous” and criticized it for politically motivated cherrypicking.
WHAT:
IndieWire - Neon described *NAZA* as “one of the best films of the year” and “an extraordinary work of art and eyewitness testimony,” comparing it to *Citizenfour* and *The Act of Killing*.
IndieWire - *NAZA* had distribution plans in 50 countries before Neon joined.
IndieWire - The Guardian planned to make the film available to stream for free on its website.
IndieWire - *No Other Land* grossed $3.6 million in theaters worldwide.
The Hollywood Reporter - Neon will provide publicity support, theater booking, P&A funds and other resources, and said it “will work with the filmmakers to expand its footprint and to reach larger audiences and communities.”
The Hollywood Reporter - *NAZA* had earned nearly $900,000 in North American theaters in less than two weeks and more than $6.5 million overseas.
Variety - The film had grossed more than $700,000 in the U.S.
The Hollywood Reporter - The documentary features Abraham interviewing about two dozen IDF soldiers involved in Israel’s war in Gaza. The soldiers speak anonymously and in shadow.
The Hollywood Reporter - Abraham said, “That truth should have been evident from the very start…So many people — especially Israelis, and people in the United States and in Germany and other places — are still denying those crimes, and the denial of those crimes allows them to persist.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Abraham told a New York Film Festival audience that stopping U.S. aid to Israel was a main motivation for the filmmakers: “these crimes are ongoing not just because our country is doing it but because your country is supporting and funding it.”
The Hollywood Reporter - *NAZA* was ahead of the North American release pace of Abraham and Szor’s *No Other Land*, which grossed about $2.5 million over several months and won the documentary Oscar without a theatrical distributor.
WHERE:
The Hollywood Reporter - The documentary’s interviews took place on rooftops in Tel Aviv; its subject is Israel’s war in Gaza.
Deadline - The film’s U.S. independent release covered 85 theaters across 30 cities.
Variety - The U.S. independent release covered 85 theaters across 30 cities.
WHEN:
IndieWire - The Guardian planned to make *NAZA* available to stream in November.
Deadline - The film was independently released in the U.S. on September 30.
Variety - The film was originally independently released in the U.S. on Sept. 30.
The Hollywood Reporter - Neon representatives said they had discussed a potential deal with the filmmakers since an enthusiastic New York Film Festival screening.
The Hollywood Reporter - The film describes a war that began in the fall of 2023, after Hamas attacked communities in southern Israel.
WHY:
The Hollywood Reporter - Neon’s distribution agreement is intended to expand the film’s reach and provide resources to support its theatrical release.
The Hollywood Reporter - The filmmakers said stopping U.S. support and funding for Israel was a central motivation for the film.
HOW:
IndieWire - MK2 Films negotiated Neon’s deal.
The Hollywood Reporter - The film builds on reporting Abraham produced for The Guardian and other publications.
The Hollywood Reporter - Before Neon joined, the producing entities, including The Guardian and MK2, put the film into theaters themselves.
The Hollywood Reporter - THR called the film “brave and indispensable,” citing its portrayal of soldiers describing how the Israeli army prosecuted the war.
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 08:06 UTC)
Neon is expanding the U.S. theatrical release of *NAZA*, the Gaza war documentary by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the directors of *No Other Land*. The distributor will provide publicity, theater bookings and funding to help the film reach larger audiences. Before Neon joined, the film had already opened independently in 85 theaters across 30 cities and earned nearly $900,000 in North America, with more than $6.5 million overseas. The documentary features Abraham interviewing about two dozen Israeli soldiers who served in Gaza; they speak anonymously, often in shadow, in rooftop interviews in Tel Aviv. The Guardian produced the film with James Wilson’s JW Films, alongside MK2 and other partners, with Jonathan Glazer as an executive producer. The Guardian plans to stream it free in November. The IDF has called the film misleading and politically motivated.
--
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 02:15 UTC)
Neon is taking over distribution of *NAZA*, a documentary by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the directors of *No Other Land*. The company will provide publicity, theater bookings, funding and other support to help the film reach wider audiences. The Guardian, international sales company MK2, director Jonathan Glazer and producer James Wilson are also among its backers. The film features Abraham interviewing about two dozen Israeli soldiers involved in the war in Gaza; they speak anonymously and in shadow. It builds on his reporting for The Guardian and other publications. The filmmakers have said that challenging U.S. support for Israel was a central motivation. Released independently in 85 theaters across 30 U.S. cities, *NAZA* earned nearly $900,000 in North America in less than two weeks and more than $6.5 million overseas. The Israeli military called the film distorted and misleading, accusing it of politically motivated cherrypicking.