The Israeli embassy in Paris will boycott the Israeli Film Festival in the city next month because the film "Foxtrot" by director Shmuel Maoz was chosen as the opening film with the participation of the director.
The film has won international acclaim but has been criticized for portraying Israeli soldiers as unethical. An embassy statement said, "The Israeli Embassy in France is proud to support the Israeli Film Festival in Paris since its establishment, and last December the embassy recommended to the festival's management the choice of an Israeli film that is not controversial, The festival's management, for its own reasons, chose not to accept the recommendation. Therefore the Foreign Ministry ordered the ambassador not to attend the opening ceremony."