Cinemas avoid NAZA around 7 October
The makers and distributor fear safety problems, but the film remains available elsewhere.
Several Dutch cinemas and film theatres are not screening the documentary NAZA on 6, 7 and 8 October. The decision follows a call by the makers and distributor because of safety concerns surrounding the 7 October commemoration.
The Israeli documentary NAZA premiered in the Netherlands on 1 October. The makers subsequently asked international distributors not to screen the film for three days around 7 October. The Dutch distributor Cherry Pickers adopted that advice.
Forum Groningen reported that it would not screen the film on 6, 7 and 8 October. According to the cinema, it had received no specific reports of protests; the decision was based on the general safety concerns of the makers and distributor.
The film is about Israeli military operations in Gaza. Anonymous Israeli soldiers make statements in the documentary about how targets are selected and how the risk to civilians is weighed. These statements are claims made by the interviewees and do not constitute independently established facts in the sources consulted for this article.
Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor say that they and family members have received threats. In Israel, the film sparked major political and public controversy. The makers won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival for NAZA.
The temporary adjustment to the schedule is not the same as a nationwide screening ban. Film listings still showed the film at dozens of Dutch cinemas and film theatres. Cinemas are therefore each making their own safety assessment.
The issue touches on two interests that often clash around controversial films: the freedom to screen a controversial documentary and institutions' responsibility to protect visitors and staff. Whether the postponement prevents safety problems in the short term cannot be independently established.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The makers asked for screenings to be temporarily postponed.
- Some cinemas followed that advice.
- The film remains available elsewhere.
Left
Arguments A controversial documentary should remain visible precisely when it opens up discussion of abuse of power and war. From this perspective, safety concerns should not lead to self-censorship.
Values Freedom of the press, human rights and space for critical art.
Consequences Continuing to screen the film can protect public debate, but may also put additional pressure on the makers and institutions.
Centre
Arguments A temporary, local adjustment to the schedule can be defensible if institutions cannot guarantee a safe screening. That is different from a substantive ban.
Values Proportionality, safety and institutional responsibility.
Consequences Postponement may reduce tensions, as long as the film genuinely remains available later.
Right
Arguments From this perspective, cinemas may decide for themselves which risks they are willing to accept and need not expose visitors to possible disturbances. At the same time, one may argue that political pressure should not be rewarded.
Values Public order, organisers' responsibility and freedom of choice.
Consequences Temporary postponement may bring calm, but repeatedly yielding to threats could set a precedent.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The specific scheduling decisions and the distributor's advice have been confirmed by independent sources. The documentary's substantive claims have been carefully attributed and not presented as established facts.
- confirmed Some cinemas in the Netherlands are not screening NAZA around 7 October. — Forum Groningen and the distributor confirm this; FilmVandaag shows that the film is being offered elsewhere. source
- confirmed The film premiered in the Netherlands on 1 October. — Film listings and reports mention 1 October 2026. source
- confirmed The makers say they have been threatened. — The claim is attributed to the makers and is reported by GIC and NOS. source
Editor's note
The makers' advice, the support of the Dutch distributor and Forum Groningen's decision have been confirmed. There is no public nationwide list of all cinemas that are temporarily not screening the film.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „naza film”
- de Volkskrant — „naza film”
- RTL Nieuws — „naza film”