Israel's top arts official has warned to eliminate financial backing for the country's film awards after The Sea, a narrative about a 12-year-old Arab youth, won its top award.
The film, which follows a boy from the disputed West Bank who dreams to journey to an Israeli city to see the ocean for the first time, won best film at the Israeli Oscars.
“No deeper insult to Israeli citizens than the embarrassing and detached yearly Ophir Awards event.”
As winner of the best film category at the national ceremony, The Award-Winning Film now becomes the country's entry to the global cinema category at next year's Oscars.
Uncertainty Over Financial Warning
It is not yet clear whether Zohar is empowered to defund the awards, according to domestic news outlets.
Cast members of The Winning Picture also received additional major prizes at the ceremony, including 13-year-old the young actor who won the best actor honor—the youngest ever recipient.
Film Synopsis
Throughout the story, the actor plays a young the protagonist who is denied entry to Israel at an Israel Defense Forces checkpoint during a school excursion to Tel Aviv.
Khaled then sneaks into the nation and tries to arrive at the beach while his father, an unauthorized worker in Israel, tries to find him.
“This film is about every child's right to live in peace, a fundamental entitlement we refuse to abandon.”
Official Response
But, in his remarks, Zohar described the national film honors as “embarrassing and detached”.
He added: “Under my watch, Israeli citizens won’t contribute financially for a ceremony that shows disrespect of our heroic soldiers.”
Industry Response
Answering the minister's comments, Assaf Amir said: “Amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza takes a terrible toll in death and destruction, the capacity to see the 'different perspective'... gives small hope.”
He continued: “Despite the Israeli government's attacks on Israeli cinema, and the calls from parts of the international film community to avoid us, the choice of this film is a strong and resounding response.”
Background Context
It comes after thousands of US film industry professionals endorsed a vow vowing not to collaborate with the country's cinematic bodies that are “implicated in atrocities”.
The nation launched its military campaign in the territory in reaction to the Hamas-led attack on the country's south on 7 October 2023, in which approximately over a thousand people were killed and hundreds others were captured.
At least 65,000 individuals have been fatally injured in Israeli attacks from that point, almost 50% of them minors and females, as stated by the local health ministry.
Recently, a international body of inquiry said that the state had carried out systematic destruction toward Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel's diplomatic office denied the findings and called it “distorted and false”.
