Portman kiss causes a stir

2005-02-24 12:36

Jerusalem - Hollywood star Natalie Portman, nominated for a best supporting actress award at this month's Academy Awards, stirred a scandal over a kissing scene at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall - the most sacred spot in Judaism, the top-selling Israeli daily said on Wednesday.

The Israeli-born 23-year-old, who may be awarded a golden statuette next Sunday for her role in the film Closer, was on location in Jerusalem for the shooting of Free Zone, an Israeli-directed film, Yediot Aharonot reported.

But a kissing scene with co-actor Aki Avni in a car park next to the Wailing Wall infuriated religious Jews praying at the site, who slammed the smooch as an act of "lewdness" before chasing the pair and the crew off the set.

The paper said director Amos Gitai had not asked for permission prior to shooting the scene, but reached a compromise after the incident that he and his crew could come back to the site at a later hour.

- AFP