Y, an Israeli filmmaker, is furtively trying to cast a drama about Ahed Tamimi, the real-life Palestinian activist who became a household name on both sides of the border after protesting against Israeli police. But he doesn’t quite understand the extent of the country’s growing censorship problem until he travels to a small town in the Arava desert for a screening of his work and spends a day with his cheery young liaison. One of Y’s biggest fans, Yahalom is a librarian who reports to the Minister of Culture. There’s palpable sexual tension between them, but the film director feels the need to confront his host, and himself, about their role in the system.
"I felt that the Israeli state had become unbearable for me. Synonyms was presented as very critical towards Israel, but then people watched it more deeply and said it was also a love song for Israel, and that it was ambivalent. I totally agree. With this film, I decided I couldn’t bear the ambivalence anymore. I felt a necessity to be frontal. However, when I watched this movie, I was still amazed that my intimacy towards Israel was sneaking in." (Nadav Lapid)
Nadav Lapid
Born in Tel Aviv in 1975. After a degree in philosophy and military service, he moved to Paris before returning to Israel to graduate from the Sam Spiegel Film & Television School in Jerusalem. His debut feature film, Policeman, won the Special Jury Prize in Locarno. An acclaimed director and screenwriter, Lapid has served on international film festival juries and is recipient of the French honorary title Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.
