SynonymsSynonyms

Yoav, a young Israeli man, arrives in Paris with only his backpack. Filled with the conviction that France and the French language would be his salvation from the madness of Israel, he leaves his native country without looking back. He wanders the streets of Paris like a ghost, constantly reciting numerous French synonyms instead of his native Hebrew. Based on the real-life experiences of director Nadav Lapid, Synonyms is a film that starts at one door and ends at another: While Paris opens the first door to Yoav as he arrives, the last door remains tightly shut. This is representative of actual France-Israel relations, as France is consistently ranked as one of the least popular countries among Israelis, even though France is home to the second largest Jewish population after the US. On the other hand, the French have long criticized Israel’s hardline policy towards Palestine. This film won the Golden Bear Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2019. (LEE Jong-chan)