‘The Kashmir Files’ Remark Jury Head’s “Personal Opinion”: Jury Board
The jury board of the 53rd International Film Festival in Goa today distanced itself from its head’s remarks on ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie, calling them “completely his personal opinion”.
Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid yesterday said the jury was “disturbed and shocked” at the screening of the film at the festival.
‘The Kashmir Files’, written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley at the height of militancy in the 90s. The movie, promoted by BJP leaders, was a commercial success, but faced allegations of fanning communal sentiments.
Speaking at the IFFI event’s closing ceremony yesterday, Mr Lapid said, “It seemed to us like a propagandist movie inappropriate for an artistic, competitive section of such a prestigious film festival. I feel totally comfortable to share openly these feelings here with you on stage. Since the spirit of having a festival is to accept also a critical discussion, which is essential for art and for life.”
The remarks sparked a huge row, with some praising him for “calling out propaganda” and others accusing him of being insensitive towards the suffering faced by Kashmiri Pandits.
Amid the row, the IFFI Jury Board has issued a statement, saying that whatever Mr Lapid said about the movie is his “personal opinion” and “nothing to do” with the board.
“In the official presentation of the Jury Board to the Festival Director and in the official Press Conference, where we 4 juries were present and interacted with the press, we never mentioned anything about our likes or dislikes. Both were our official collective opinion. As a juror, we are assigned to judge the technical, aesthetic quality and socio-cultural relevance of the 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,” the board said.
Among those who slammed the Israel filmmaker is the country’s ambassador to India, Naor Gilon. In a Twitter thread targeting Mr Lapid, he said he “should be ashamed”.