The veteran American distribution company Kino Lorber has announced the acquisition of North American distribution rights for Israeli director Nadav Lapid’s new film, “Yes!” The deal marks a rare achievement for an Israeli film in this period and signifies the fourth collaboration between Lapid and the leading independent cinema company.
Kino Lorber, operating for over 45 years with a library of more than 4,000 titles, is responsible for distributing classics such as Bertolucci’s “The Conformist,” the Oscar-winning foreign film “Mephisto,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Dogtooth,” and the Oscar-nominated Israeli films “Beaufort” and “Ajami.” The company previously distributed Lapid’s films “The Kindergarten Teacher,” “Synonyms,” and “The Knee.”
A Challenging Film About Difficult Times
“Yes!” follows Y, a struggling jazz musician, and his wife Yasmin, a former dancer, in post-October 7 massacre Israel. The two surrender their art, souls, and bodies to bring pleasure, entertainment, and comfort to a bleeding nation. At the film’s climax, Y is tasked with a mission of supreme importance, to find a melody for a new national anthem.
The 150-minute film, starring Ariel Bronz, Efrat Dor, Naama Preis, and Alexey Serebryakov, is a co-production of Israel, France, Germany, and Cyprus. Filming took place in Tel Aviv and its surroundings, Cyprus (over half the film), and France.
International Recognition and Achievements
Since its premiere in May at the “Directors’ Fortnight” section of the Cannes Film Festival, the film has received widespread acclaim. It was included in IndieWire’s list of the decade’s best films and earned enthusiastic reviews in Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, and Le Monde. It was later selected for festivals in Karlovy Vary, Munich, and Jerusalem.
