Why?

Forsaken

At the start of his career, the French-Israeli filmmaker of the short Why? [Lama? in Hebrew, 2014], Nadav Lapid, provided us already the biggest question for his protagonist, his audience, the state — for Charles Tesson of the Cahiers du Cinéma. Lapid's mobile chirps with a commission from Tesson to explore the "potency of the image." Super-task to resolve such a question as "Why?" in the 'real world' of Lapid's film-alter-ego name, Yoav; perhaps even more difficult still as contemplated by Yoav, young member of the IDF, film protagonist/projection used both by Yoav and Nadav to bearing witness: (1) Before the classroom attendees of the IDF camp who jerk around with a boombox during a screening of Pasolini's Teorema; (2) Identifying with the grizzled figure in the final desolate moments of Pier Paolo's picture, and moved to touch the projected ephemeral image. (See also Godard's Scénario du film Passion.) Why can't he be he, I be I? 

In a New York Times op piece published earlier today, Jake Halpern recounts his pre-adolescent son recently inquiring, "Daddy, is the world falling apart?" It's no longer even a question of "why," but rather an implicit response somewhat along the lines of, "Sure the world is falling apart. Funny you should ask." "Funny?" "Yes; why ask?" •

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Writing at Cinemasparagus on Nadav Lapid:

Lama? / Why? [2014]

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