During his speech at an Indian government-organized film festival, the Israeli Jury Chief surprised the audience by criticizing the organizers for including a low-budget propaganda film about the exodus of thousands of Hindus from the occupied Kashmir region in the competition.
The fictional story of a student who discovers that his Kashmiri Hindu parents were killed by freedom fighters, not by accident, as his grandfather told him, is told in the 170-minute Hindi-language film The Kashmir Files, which came out in March.
After seeing the film, Hindu audiences erupted in hate speeches and called for the murder of Muslims and a boycott of their businesses, stoking anti-Muslim sentiment.
Nadav Lapid, a renowned filmmaker who spoke on behalf of the jury, praised the majority of the 15 films in the International Film Festival India (IFFI) for their quality, saying: The 15th film, The Kashmir Files, shocked and upset us all because it seemed like propaganda and a vulgar film, not appropriate for such a prestigious film festival’s artistic competition section.
He went on to say: I feel absolutely great to impart transparently these sentiments here to you in front of an audience since the soul of the celebration can really acknowledge likewise a basic conversation, which is fundamental for workmanship and forever.”
https://twitter.com/DearthOfSid/status/1597258188591505408
Because the festival is an event that is supported by the government, Lapid gave his speech in front of a number of ministers.It is believed that the film was supported by the ruling far-right BJP party in India.
The jury board stated that Lapid’s remarks were “completely his personal opinion” after they sparked a significant backlash on social media.
An open letter to #NadavLapid following his criticism of #KashmirFiles. It’s not in Hebrew because I wanted our Indian brothers and sisters to be able to understand. It is also relatively long so I’ll give you the bottom line first. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. Here’s why: pic.twitter.com/8YpSQGMXIR
— Naor Gilon (@NaorGilon) November 29, 2022
In a series of tweets, Israel’s envoy to India expressed regret for his remarks, stating that he felt “ashamed.”He wrote, “I want to apologize to our hosts for the poor manner in which we repaid them for their generosity and friendship. As a human being, I feel ashamed.”
The film was banned in as many as six countries due to its “potential to cause enmity between different communities.” Among Lapid’s fellow jurors at the festival are US producer Jinko Gotoh, French editor Pascale Chavance, Spanish filmmaker and critic Javier Angulo, and Indian filmmaker Sudipto Sen.
