No one is a prophet in their own land, as the saying goes, but sometimes host countries are hardly any more receptive...
Calls not to work with Israeli institutions “involved in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”, which have been gathering thousands of signatures in Hollywood, have apparently crossed the Mediterranean.
Thus the participation of Israeli director Nadav Lapid in the 37th edition of the Marseille International Film Festival (FID, from 7 to 12 July) was given a decidedly cool reception by some of the selected filmmakers, who initially refused to see him sit on the jury and then to endorse his presence at the festival at all.
The director, winner of the Golden Bear in Berlin in 2019, as well as jury prizes in Locarno (2011) and Cannes (2021), had been due to present his film Policeman (2011) at FID.
What has sparked this outcry, at least according to what has been said publicly, are the Israeli public funds used to finance – in very small part – Lapid's latest film, Yes, screened at Cannes in 2025 in the Directors' Fortnight.
