Nadav Lapid withdraws from FID Marseille after boycott calls

Marseille – 09.06.2026: Israeli director Nadav Lapid has canceled his participation in the International Documentary Film Festival (FID) in Marseille, which was scheduled to take place from July 7 to 12, 2026. This decision was made following calls for a boycott by several filmmakers who protested his presence and withdrew their participation in the festival.

Lapid, who has been living in France since 2021, is known for his critical stance towards the Israeli government. He was to join the festival jury and present his latest films: the film Le Policier and the documentary Oui (2025). The latter offers a multifaceted view of Israeli society after the events of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent conflict in Gaza.

The controversy began after festival participants supporting the cultural boycott of Israel withdrew their films from the competition. They explained their protest as a refusal to support institutions associated with the Israeli state. Lapid himself sharply condemned the calls for boycott, calling them “cruel” and “perverse.”

Sveta Dobreva, director of FID Marseille, stated that the boycott actions came from a certain group within the festival. Initially, Lapid was invited to the jury, then there were attempts to exclude him. Following this, both the planned screening of his film and the reading of his book were boycotted. Under such circumstances, Lapid decided to withdraw his participation so as not to create additional pressure on the festival.

FID Marseille expressed regret over the incident and emphasized in an official statement the inadmissibility of holding individual artists responsible for the political decisions of the government. The festival advocates for diversity of opinions and stressed the importance of “hearing and supporting individual voices, such as the voice of Nadav Lapid.”

These events highlight the complex positions of artists and cultural institutions when they find themselves at the center of international conflicts and become the subject of political disputes. It is clear how closely intertwined freedom of art and political views are, as well as how cultural events are increasingly drawn into political debates.

This case also demonstrates how boycott strategies against specific countries or their representatives in the cultural sphere can cause tensions far beyond cinema. Numerous voices warn against the instrumentalization of cultural platforms for political conflicts, as this complicates independent artistic work and hinders dialogue between different perspectives. Despite Lapid’s withdrawal, the topic of cultural freedom and political responsibility remains at the center of international cultural discourse.