"We'll shave our beards": the makers of the film NAZA plan to return to Israel

The creators of the documentary film "NAZA", Yuval Avraham and Rachel Shor, have announced their intention to return to Israel despite pressure from the authorities and protests. The film, which received a 25-minute ovation in Venice, is based on anonymous interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence operatives and soldiers. The authors do not intend to remain in exile.

The creators of the resonant documentary film "NAZA", Yuval Avraham and Rachel Shor, have declared a firm intention to return to Israel, despite a barrage of criticism, pressure from the authorities and protests outside the home of Shor's parents. The film, triumphantly greeted with a 25-minute ovation at the Venice Film Festival, is built on anonymous interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence operatives and soldiers, recorded during secret nighttime forays onto rooftops. After the premiere, the directing duo is not yet risking an appearance in their homeland, fearing for their safety. Avraham promised to return "one hundred million percent", adding: "Maybe we'll shave our beards, but we are not going to sit in exile." The film's title refers to the Hebrew term "nezek agavi" ("collateral damage"). The film raises the issue of the use of military AI systems such as Lavender and Where's Daddy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared the film's appearance to a salvo of ballistic missiles and proposed stripping the authors of their citizenship. The IDF categorically rejected the accusations, stating that the film distorts the real process of planning operations. In September, 43 human rights organisations publicly came out in defence of the authors.