Ahed's Knee

Nadav Lapid won the Golden Bear with ›Synonymes‹. He returns to Israel in ›Ahed's Knee‹, delivering a furious autofiction and a political warning.

The renowned filmmaker Y., an alter ego for director Nadav Lapid, travels to a remote desert settlement in Arava following an invitation by the Israeli government to attend a screening of one of his films. Once there, he is welcomed by Yahalom, a young female official working for the Ministry of Culture. When she tells him that he must sign a document that forbids him to speak freely during the event, she triggers an outburst. The archaic-looking stone desert landscape becomes the stage for an artist's struggle with his personal and political demons. Full of anger and passion, ›Ahed's Knee‹ shouts out its criticism of Israeli nationalism. It’s an assaultive film that denounces the censorship and conformity imposed by an authoritarian cultural policy, while also taking aim at Israel's militarism and its settlement politics.

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