Natalie Portman's directorial debut draws criticism in Israel

Hollywood star Natalie Portman's directorial debut, 'A Tale of Love and Darkness', has encountered some backlash from local residents during its location shoot in Israel.
Earlier this week, the leaders in Jurusalem's Nahlaot neighborhood filed a letter of complaint with the city's deputy mayor in protest of the decision to allow the crew to shoot there, said the Holllywood reporter.
An adaptation of Israeli novelist Amos Oz's celebrated memoir of the same name, the film has been shooting in Israel since the beginning of this month.
Portman, 32, whose father is Israeli and mother American, was born in Jerusalem. She will also appear in the film, in a supporting role.

"The film shooting is set to take place on several sensitive streets close to synagogues and yeshivas, and the scenes being filmed should have been examined first to make sure they don't offend anybody's sensitivities," the letter from residents to the municipality reads.
'A Tale of Love and Darkness' is produced by Portman's own Handsomecharlie Films banner. The company received about USD 450,000 from the Jerusalem Development Authority to shoot the film in the capital.