Nadav Lapid Once Again Claims That Fellow Jury Members Shared The Same Opinion About The Kashmir Files

Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid opened up about his recent remarks on ‘The Kashmir Files’. Sticking to his view, the filmmaker called the film a ‘series of basic and cheap cinematic manipulation.’ 

New Delhi: Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid opened up about his recent remarks on ‘The Kashmir Files’ in an interview with India Today. Sticking to his view, the filmmaker called the film a ‘series of basic and cheap cinematic manipulation.’ 

He also once again claimed that the rest of the jury members of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) had the same opinion about the film. “My opinions were shared by all the jury members. We were sitting, all of us, in the screening room, having the same feeling after the screening. Everyone was aware of what was going to be said,” he told India Today. 

He also said that he understands that people can change their stance under pressure.  

When asked about showing any evidence or proof for the same, he asked to check with the Spanish and French jury members. He refused to show any other evidence as he didn’t want to put more pressure on people. 

Spanish documentary filmmaker Javier Angulo Barturen, and French film editor Pascale Chavance were part of the jury along with American film producer Jinko Gotoh and Indian film director Sudipto Sen. 

Sudipto Sen had earlier said Lapid's remark about The Kashmir Files “was completely his personal opinion” and that jury members “never mentioned anything about our likes or dislikes”.     

Sen took to Twitter to clarify the jury members’ stand on the issue and wrote, “Whatever has been said by IFFI 2022 Jury Chairman Mr. Nadav Lapid about the film Kashmir Files, from the stage of closing ceremony of 53rd IFFI was completely his personal opinion. In the official presentation of the Jury Board to the Festival Director and in the official Press Conference, where we 4 juries (the fifth jury had to leave for her personal emergency) were present and interacted with the press, we never mentioned anything about our likes or dislikes. Both were our official collective opinion. As juror, we are assigned to judge the technical, aesthetic quality and socio-cultural relevance of a film. We don't indulge in any kind of political comments on any film and if it is done, it is completely in personal capacity - nothing to do with the esteemed Jury Board.” 

Lapid had called ‘The Kashmir Files’ a ‘propaganda, vulgar movie’ and had said that the film is inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.