350+ Film Figures Condemn Nadav Lapid Boycott After 10 Filmmakers Forced Marseille Exit
Updated
Updated · Variety · Jun 9
350+ Film Figures Condemn Nadav Lapid Boycott After 10 Filmmakers Forced Marseille Exit
3 articles · Updated · Variety · Jun 9
Summary
More than 350 film figures signed a Le Monde letter denouncing what they called a "campaign of intimidation" against Nadav Lapid after he withdrew from Marseille's FID festival.
Around 10 filmmakers pulled their works from the lineup after objecting to Lapid's planned jury role and later a reduced appearance, forcing the Israeli director to pull out entirely.
Critics targeted Lapid because his 2025 film "Yes!" received partial backing from the Israel Film Fund, which the letter's supporters said is an independent financer of Israeli and Palestinian cinema, not a state mouthpiece.
Lapid, a longtime critic of Netanyahu who has lived in France since 2021, said the pressure risks a wider chilling effect as festivals avoid films and artists for fear of Gaza-related controversy.
The letter argued that inviting an artist recognizes a body of work, not a nationality, and warned cinema cannot remain a space for debate if artists are reduced to state representatives.