Natalie Portman, Justine Triet and Jacques Audiard are among hundreds of film figures defending Israeli director Nadav Lapid after a festival controversy in France.
Lapid, a longtime critic of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, had been invited to serve on the jury at the FID Marseille international film festival, set for July 7-12. But pressure over his participation grew quickly, and he eventually stepped away from the event.
Now, more than 350 industry professionals have signed letters arguing that boycotting Lapid is the wrong target.
Natalie Portman And Directors Defend Nadav Lapid
One letter, published in Le Monde, called the cultural boycott of Lapid “an intellectual failure.”
The signatories argued that filmmakers should not be erased because of the governments they often criticize. They described Lapid as one of Israel’s strongest dissident artists and pointed to his films as fierce critiques of Israeli nationalism.
Lapid, who has lived in self-imposed exile in France since 2021, recently made ‘Yes!,’ which has been described as a harsh critique of Israeli nationalism.
The letter asked a blunt question: when does an artist become a mouthpiece for a state?
“There is no justification for silencing an artist’s voice,” the letter said.
Festival Pressure Forced Lapid To Step Away
Festival director Tsveta Dobreva initially invited Lapid based on his work. As pressure mounted, the festival reportedly tried to reduce his role to a screening of his 2011 debut film ‘Policeman’ and a book signing.
That did not settle the dispute. Around 10 filmmakers withdrew their films from the festival, and Lapid eventually exited.
A second Le Monde essay, titled “Cinema Is Not an Embassy,” also defended him. It argued that inviting a filmmaker to a festival does not make that person a cultural ambassador for their country.
“How does a filmmaker’s presence on a jury or the screening of their work make them a state representative?” the piece asked.
Lapid Says Silence Helps No One
Critics of Lapid’s participation pointed to partial funding for ‘Yes!’ from the Israel Film Fund. Supporters countered that the fund has backed many progressive Israeli and Palestinian films and operates independently from state control.
Lapid said he withdrew to avoid making things harder for the festival, but he also questioned where the pressure ends.
“For a year, my film ‘Yes!’ was under attack,” Lapid said. “Then suddenly, my mere presence became unacceptable.”
He warned that festivals may start avoiding difficult films and artists just to escape controversy.
“Films vanish, debates cease, and everyone retreats into silence,” he said.
Lapid said he still supports real political sanctions against the Israeli state. But he argued that erasing artists from cultural spaces is not the same thing.
For Portman, Triet, Audiard and the other signatories, the message is clear: cinema should remain a place for argument, not disappearance.
