India, May 23 -- Somewhere in the middle of Israeli director Nadav Lapid's new feature film, Yes, is a joke about a Jew talking to a travel agent about a suitable destination for his vacation. The Jew scours a globe given to him, but is still unable to point to a place. "Do you have another globe?" he finally asks. Yes, which had its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight parallel programme at the 78th Cannes Film Festival (May 13-24), reflects the Paris-based Lapid's determination to not seek a safe choice of filmmaking in a dangerous world.

Lapid, whose previous works that are often critical of the Israeli government include Ahed's Knee, which won the Jury Prize in Cannes four years ago, questions the unrelenting bombing of Gaza an...