I was invited to the festival as jury head and did my duty: Nadav Lapid, Israeli filmmaker

Internationally acclaimed Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, whose statement on The Kashmir Files as head of the jury for international competition at the just-concluded International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, triggered a massive controversy, is no stranger to India's biggest film event. Lapid won the Best Director award for his film, The Kindergarten Teacher, at the 45th edition of IFFI in 2014, along with the Best Actress award for the film's lead actor Sarit Larry. Though he couldn't attend the festival eight years ago, in a different role this time, the director's first visit to India didn't go as planned. In an interview with Faizal Khan from his home in Paris, Lapid looks back at his role as the chairman of the jury, the controversy, and his admiration for past and present Indian filmmakers. Edited excerpts:

How did your selection as the head of jury for international competition at the International Film Festival of India, Goa, come about?

I opened my email one day and there was one mail from the International Film Festival of India. The festival invited me to be the jury chairman. Since I have never been to India and never been to Goa, and my films were shown several times in the Goa festival, but also in other places, I thought it was an opportunity. I am at the end of writing a new script and for me it was a nice moment to watch many movies. For me being part of the jury is a process of thinking, something that can stimulate my thought, and I said, Why not?

What was the process followed by the jury in viewing the entries for the international competition? How many films did you watch every day and did you discuss the films on a daily basis?

We watched a lot of movies because there were 15 movies for international competition and when I arrived I found out that there were seven additional movies for the debutant film competition. It was really a lot. I think I have never been in a film festival, maybe except Berlin, with as many films. It was massive. When I preside over a jury or am in a jury, I basically don't like daily discussions because I feel that it is nice that everyone in a way will accumulate his or her own experience. Also when I watch movies in Paris, I prefer to go alone. I like to take my time with a movie and not to start discussing it immediately. But at the same time it was kind of inevitable that when people are talkative you can't ask them to keep silent. Sometimes they were talking, like Oh! The film was terrible, or Oh! I found it really great, stuff like that. Most of the films were discussed in the deliberation.

There have been concerns of the director and actors of The Kashmir Files about the choice of words you spoke on the stage at the closing ceremony of the festival, such as "vulgar, propaganda and inappropriate" about the film. How would you address those concerns?

I also would have been hurt if someone would have named my movie vulgar or propaganda film or inappropriate for a prestigious selection. I mean it is not an imaginary thing. I do like films that people classify sometimes as very controversial, very conflictual. I have heard so many harsh words about my movies and a lot of compliments. When I heard the harsh words I was offended. It is logical. I don't know, I hated the person who said these words. I totally disagreed, it is normal. This is the universe in which we function and the more you do movies that have a kind of conflictual aspect or have a kind of extreme side, the more you are exposed to this kind of reaction. I totally respect the right to be offended. I respect the right of those who admired the film to think it is the best film of the century. In my opinion it is a vulgar, propaganda film and shouldn't have been included in such a selection.

Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am right. However, I am neither the first person nor the 1000th person, I think, to describe the movie more or less in these words. It is also not extremely astonishing. Frankly, because of the fear in my head since I don't know about India and don't understand many things, I still don't get what evoked such a strong reaction. I was not talking about what was happening in Kashmir. I can't imagine one person who can hear my words (from the stage) and think that I am trying to deny or minimise the suffering and tragedy. I was invited to the festival as jury president and I did my duty. I talked about the movies, the movies I liked and the movies I hated. It is true that there is something for me as well. Since I have presided over many juries, dozens of juries, frankly I don't know exactly what the people who included this movie in this competition expected.

If you try to go a little bit deeper, I mean there are some marvelous movies that can be named propaganda movies in the history of cinema. One can say Battleship Potemkin is a propaganda movie. Maybe in a way it is right, Potemkin is a sublime movie I am ready to watch any day, twice. I am a big believer in contradictions. In a way, my movies are always filled with the idea that the bad ones should be more beautiful than the good ones. For me it is a combination of contradiction and provocation that makes out of the film something that on the one hand will penetrate the distance and will shorten the distance between the spectator and the screen.

Have you ever faced backlash from people in your country or elsewhere when you made a film?

Of course, for me it is funny that for example, the Israeli Ambassador to India, attacked me in a very harsh way because I am like I wouldn't say persona non grata, but I find myself in permanent conflict with the Israeli government. I am not doing critical films because it is my agenda. I am doing critical films because when you are intimate with a certain place, the slightest hill looks to you like a mountain and you become very emotional. There is a beautiful sentence that I like: 'What is my motherland? It is a place I am chained to.' I feel very intimate with Israel. So things turn me crazy and these feelings are passing through my movies. I am not a victim, but I am paying a price that one who criticises harshly might pay. My last movie, Ahed's Knee, was released in Israel. When I was there I got phone calls from all sorts of people who explained to me nicely how they are going to shoot my son, my house, etc. I think I would really be worried to be in a different position. I really don't like to be harassed. The sincere place for an artist is to be alone.

At international film festivals jury presidents wield unwritten, yet unquestionable authority. How did you see your role in Goa?

I am less attached to the official and formal definition. In the beginning when I would start watching the movies at a film festival, I would ask myself why did I accept the job, I have so much work. But after a day-and-a-half I am so already attached and so devoted to the idea of selecting this film, not this or other one, I am ready to go to the moon and back in order that the best one will win. So being the president in a way may help me to fulfill this vision. In the end since I want to believe that I am praising the film that deserves this prize, this disposition enables me to give the biggest award to the best film.

Here I felt like I had no choice. Once I knew what I was facing I felt it is my obligation also to the festival, on a larger scale towards India, because once you are invited to give your opinion you must give the truth. The festival invited me, not someone else. They could have invited someone else, but they chose me. Yesterday I was in India and today I am in Paris, so I didn't have a choice. Also as an Isreali, I fear the kind of films that will be produced in my country in one year, two years, I would be extremely happy if in such a scenario a foreign, an Indian jury president, would be serious enough to portray things as they are.

You shared the jury prize with an Asian director in Cannes last year for Ahed's Knee. Have you seen any Indian films and any particular filmmakers from India whom you like?

You know I am also an Asian director. Of course, Apichatpong (Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul who shared the Jury Prize in Cannes with Lapid for his film Memoria) doesn't need my compliment. It was an honour to share this award with him. I admit I am not familiar with Indian contemporary cinema. I will say, it is a cliche but true, that  am a huge admirer of the works of Satyajit Ray, but this was kind of long ago. During the last few years some movies from India that have made me laugh, one is, Court. I liked the second film (The Disciple) by the same director (Marathi filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane) which was also in Venice. I also liked The Lunchbox when I saw it. So there are some titles.

Do you have any memories of your film, The Kindergarten Teacher, winning awards in Goa?

The film won two awards, Best Director and Best Actress. I couldn't come then, so we sent the Director of Photography and the lead actress Sarit Larry. I wanted to come. My Director of Photography came back from India so happy and smiling. He was so jealous when he saw my photo in Goa this time. This time, the job was so intense. The place I know the best in India is the screening room and the hotel. I really intended to go back for a visit to Goa. Maybe not tomorrow.