This fringe actor finds the spotlight in Israel's most provocative film post-Oct. 7

## Summary
Middle East This fringe actor finds the spotlight in Israel's most provocative film post-Oct. 7 April 1, 2026 2:18 PM ET Daniel Estrin Actor and activist Ariel Bronz, long relegated to the esoteric corners of Israel's art scene, has been catapulted to the spotlight after his performance in the film "Yes." It landed him a best actor nomination at Israel's academy award ceremony last year. Ofir Berman for NPR hide caption toggle caption Ofir Berman for NPR TEL AVIV, Israel — The edgiest Israeli film that has come out during these last few years of war is "Yes," which opened last week in select theaters in the U.S. Ofir Berman for NPR hide caption toggle caption Ofir Berman for NPR Abroad, thousands of filmmakers and actors are waging a pro-Palestinian boycott against most of Israel's film industry, accusing it of "complicity or whitewashing genocide and apartheid." Israel denied accusations that it committed genocide in Gaza and its culture minister has disparaged Israeli filmmakers who show their country in a critical light, and even threatened to cut funding to Israel's film industry. Bronz, long relegated to the esoteric corners of Israel's art scene, has been catapulted to the spotlight after his performance in the film "Yes." It landed him a best actor nomination at Israel's academy award ceremony last year.

## Article Content
Middle East
This fringe actor finds the spotlight in Israel's most provocative film post-Oct. 7
April 1, 2026
2:18 PM ET
Daniel Estrin
Actor and activist Ariel Bronz, long relegated to the esoteric corners of Israel's art scene, has been catapulted to the spotlight after his performance in the film "Yes."
It landed him a best actor nomination at Israel's academy award ceremony last year. He didn't win.
Ofir Berman for NPR
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Ofir Berman for NPR
TEL AVIV, Israel — The edgiest Israeli film that has come out during these last few years of war is "Yes," which opened last week in
select theaters
in the U.S.
The film begins with a pair of go-go dancers entertaining Israel's army chief at a wild party during the Gaza war.
In the starring role is one of the most provocative figures of Israel's theater scene, 41-year-old actor
Ariel Bronz
.
His character
in the film
is an avant-garde musician married to a dancer who, after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, decide to conform to the Israeli mainstream. They take on gigs performing for Israel's elite.
"They start to be entertainers slash clowns ... in order to survive in this place," Bronz told NPR.
Israeli critics call it a "monumental," "provocative" film
Ariel Bronz character in the film "Yes" is an avant-garde musician married to a dancer who, after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, decide to conform to the Israeli mainstream. They take on gigs performing for Israel's elite.
The Israeli director of "Yes," Nadav Lapid, says it was hard to find Israeli actors willing to take part in the film. It's received rave reviews in Israel, with critics calling it "monumental" and "provocative."
Courtesy of Transpex
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The film, which
premiered last year
at the Cannes Film Festival, takes a hard look at the trauma and
drive for
vengeance that swept over Israel after Oct. 7, when many Israeli artists rallied around the flag or performed for troops as Israel went to war in Gaza.
In the film, Bronz's character is commissioned to compose a new national anthem for post-Oct. 7 Israel, and writes a warmongering ballad about destroying Gaza and "love sanctified in blood."
The Israeli director of "Yes," Nadav Lapid,
says it was hard to find
Israeli actors willing to take part in the film. It's received rave reviews in Israel, with critics calling it "monumental" and "provocative."
As Israel fights off accusations it committed genocide in Gaza, Bronz in the film and in his art pushes the boundaries of acceptable speech for artists in the country today.
"There are very few artists left in Israel who dare to speak," he said. "If you are against occupation, against genocide, so you become isolated. You become not part of this place. You become (an) enemy of state."
Interrogated by police for his art
Actor and activist Ariel Bronz photographed in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Israel. "There are very few artists left in Israel who dare to speak," he said. "If you are against occupation, against genocide, so you become isolated. You become not part of this place. You become (an) enemy of state."
Ofir Berman for NPR
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Ofir Berman for NPR
Bronz immigrated to Israel from Odessa, Ukraine, when he was six. Today he teaches Shakespeare at an Israeli acting school, and is also a playwright, poet, director and performance artist.
He's best known for a
performance ten years ago
that shocked even the progressive audience he performed for — a conference of the liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
It was a political satire. He was playing the role of an Israeli nationalist supremacist. The Israeli audience didn't understand the satire, and booed him off the stage. The venue cut the sound system and shut off the lights.
In his final act of defiance before leaving the stage, he stuck an Israeli flag in his behind. He was
interrogated by police
because of it.
Since then, he has paid a price as an artist. He says audience members cancelled tickets to his show at a recent theatre festival when they discovered he was involved.
"I became very much isolated from the Israeli art scene, because nobody wanted to be known as (a) person that gave a stage to this monster," Bronz said.
Israeli artists face opposing pressures in the wake of the Gaza war
Ariel Bronz during the performance "Who Wants a Ride on a Camel at Jaffa Cinema?" at Jaffa Cinema, Tel Aviv–Jaffa, Israel.
Ofir Berman for NPR
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Ofir Berman for NPR
Abroad, thousands of filmmakers and actors are
waging a pro-Palestinian boycott
against most of Israel's film industry, accusing it of "complicity or whitewashing genocide and apartheid."
Israel denied accusations that it committed genocide in Gaza and its culture minister has disparaged Israeli filmmakers who show their country in a critical light, and even
threatened to cut funding
to Israel's film industry.
Bronz, long relegated to the esoteric corners of Israel's art scene, has been catapulted to th

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This article covers israel, israeli, film topics. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1276.