Dozens of demonstrators rallied outside the Sag Harbor Cinema on Saturday against the Hamptons International Film Festival’s screening of “NAZA,” a controversial documentary examining civilian casualties and military practices in the Israel-Hamas war. The festival rejected calls to cancel the film, which features anonymous sources and relies on artificial intelligence targeting data allegations.
Essential Facts from the Sag Harbor Demonstration
- About 50 demonstrators gathered outside the Sag Harbor Cinema on Saturday night to protest the screening of “NAZA.”
- The 80-minute documentary examines the Israeli military’s use of artificial intelligence to identify targets and features interviews with 24 anonymous military sources.
- Festival organizers added complementary films and a panel discussion to provide diverse views following pushback from local Jewish institutions.
Protests Outside Sag Harbor Cinema and Festival Response
The screening on Saturday drew roughly 50 demonstrators to Main Street in Sag Harbor, where local community members voiced sharp opposition to the documentary. Jack Kliger, 79, of Noyac, stated outside the theater that the film attempts to delegitimize the right of a Jewish state to exist and presents an inaccurate picture of the war. Mitchel Agoos, 88, of Amagansett, condemned the project for demonizing the Israel Defense Forces.
Conversely, audience members entering the theater expressed varied motivations for viewing the documentary. Ken Dorph, 73, of Sag Harbor, noted that he attended to bear witness to the killing of Palestinian civilians and support hearing the Palestinian narrative. John Spencer, 50, an urban warfare researcher, stated that he wanted to view the film to evaluate any potential gaps in its documentation firsthand.
Randy Mastro, co-chair of the film festival’s board, defended the decision to move forward with the screening. Mastro stated in a statement to Newsday on Friday that pulling the film would be the wrong approach, emphasizing that the response to offensive speech is more speech rather than censorship. The documentary previously received a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival.
Disputes Over Anonymous Sources and Institutional Objections
The controversy extended beyond protests to formal objections from local synagogues regarding how the festival originally promoted the documentary. Temple Adas Israel sent a letter objecting to the festival’s initial guide description, which stated that the film reveals systems behind Israel’s calculated mass killing of civilians. The festival subsequently updated its guide language to note that the film’s depiction has caused controversy and generated intense public debate.
Meanwhile, the Jewish Center of the Hamptons issued an open letter via a newspaper advertisement asking the festival to withdraw the film entirely. Critics point out that “NAZA” relies heavily on 24 anonymous sources, with faces and voices altered. David Saxe, of the group East End Jews for Israel, argued that the film presents contested allegations as established fact.
The Israel Defense Forces issued a statement asserting that the documentary presents a distorted, misleading, and disingenuous picture designed to fit a specific narrative. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterized the film as part of global antisemitic incitement, while Israel’s cultural minister called for the directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, to be stripped of their Israeli citizenship. The military chief of general staff has also asked prosecutors to investigate potential leaks.
Expanded Festival Programming and Upcoming Screenings
In response to the public debate, the festival adjusted its schedule to include additional perspectives. Organizers added “The Choice,” a 2026 documentary focusing on Israeli families grieving the October 7 attack, and an encore screening of “Holding Liat,” a 2025 documentary about a hostage couple and their families. Additionally, the festival scheduled a panel discussion at LTV Studios in Wainscott regarding media depictions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A second screening of “NAZA” is scheduled for October 9 at the East Hampton Regal.
