Natalie Portman has long been awaiting to make her debut as a talented director. After spending several years in the developmental stages of the film A Tale of Love and Darkness, it is finally in production. The movie is based on Israel's bestselling book, a memoir written by Israeli author Amos Oz. It makes sense that the movie would be filmed in Jerusalem, which also happens to be Portman's hometown.

However, residents of Nahlaot, a small town in Jerusalem, are not at all thrilled with filming taking place there. Hundreds of letters from local residents have been sent to the municipality requesting the film be shut down. The letters state that residents are upset that filming will be taking place on streets located near their synagogues and Yeshivas. Furthermore, they are unhappy that the scenes have not been closely examined to make sure they are not offensive. The government has refused to shut down production and informed its residents that Portman's crew will be respectful of Jerusalem's strict modesty culture and make sure that the cast and crew are dressed conservatively when they are in the area.

This has not made the residents any less angry. Some have taking to spray painting the words "foreign invasion" on many of the walls in Nahlaot. This may seem extreme, especially considering Portman's ties to the country, but this is not the first time she has offended the residents of Jerusalem. In 2005 while filming a scene for Free Zone at the Wailing Wall, Portman and her co-star shared on onscreen kiss. The Wailing Wall has strict rules against men and women touching, or even socializing with one another. This has caused the residents to continue to question her ability to be respectful and modest of their cultures while filming her current movie.