Popular filmmaker, Nadav Lapid, don tok say im new film wey dem call "Yes" na about one musician wey dem ask to rewrite di Israeli national anthem. Di filmmaker talk say di film na im response to wetin e call im kontri "blindness" to di suffer wey Gaza people dey face, as Israel dey continue di attack wey dem start since October 2023.
Lapid don use im previous films like "Synonyms," wey win Golden Bear for Berlin in 2019, and "Ahed's Knee" (2021), to talk about di wahala wey dey Israel. For "Yes," e show how di society dey struggle with di "dark side" wey don dey since Hamas attack military sites and settlements for Israel on October 7, 2023.
Lapid talk say, "Blindness for Israel na somtin wey don turn to collective sickness." Di 50-year-old director yarn dis one give AFP news agency for Cannes festival, where dem show di film "Yes" for di first time on Thursday.
Di film, wey last almost two and half hours, follow di story of one musician wey dem call Y. Di authorities commission am to rewrite di Israeli national anthem to turn am to propaganda wey go dey call for di eradication of Palestinians. Lapid talk say, "Di big Israeli dream... say one day dem go wake up and no go see Palestinians again, don turn to political plan."
E still add say, "Very few people dey stand up to talk say wetin dey happen for Gaza no good at all," and say "e be like say people don agree say Israeli lives dey more important pass Palestinian lives."
For one scene, Y and im wife (Shai Goldman) dey feed dia pikin while dem dey look dia phones, wey dey show notifications of new deadly airstrikes for Gaza. For another scene, small crowd gather for rooftop dey dance happily as fighter jets dey fly pass.
Before Cannes festival start, Lapid join over 380 film people, including big Hollywood actors, to sign one open letter wey condemn di silence of di film industry on wetin dem call "genocide" for Gaza.
Lapid talk say e face plenty wahala before e fit start di film. E say dem do di film "guerrilla style" as di Israeli war for Gaza dey go on. Technicians and actors pull out, and some people wey suppose support di film no gree involve.
E say, "Dem tell me say people no dey make political films on dis kain matter again. Dem no want films wey dey for or against di war." Di lead actor, Ariel Bronz, talk say di title "Yes" dey refer to di only answer wey artists fit give for Israel when dem ask dem if dem support di war.
"Our first duty as artists na to no follow where di wind dey blow," Bronz talk. "We suppose pay personal price, and e no easy to survive for dis kain position where you dey totally isolated for your own kontri," e tell AFP.
French producers support di film, and one independent Israeli public fund still back di project even though di film dey criticize di system. "Yes" go open for European cinemas by September, but no Israeli distributor don gree show am yet.
Lapid talk say, "If I no get di ambition, di hope, di pride, and di dream to shake things up, I no go make di film." E add say, "I believe say society need one big shock, and I hope say dis film go be di shock."
Di Israeli army don dey attack Gaza since October 2023, and dem don kill nearly 64,000 Palestinians, most of dem na women and children. Dem no gree international calls for ceasefire. Di dead people include about 11,000 Palestinians wey dem fear say dey under di rubble of destroyed houses.
Experts talk say di real number of deaths fit pass wetin Gaza authorities don report, and dem estimate say e fit reach about 200,000. Di International Criminal Court don issue arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and im former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity for Gaza. Israel still dey face one genocide case for di International Court of Justice because of di war for di enclave.
