By Bobbie Ysabelle Matias
‘No Other Land,’ a film made by a group of Palestinian-Israeli directors about the destruction of the West Bank region of Masafer Yatta, won the Oscar for best documentary feature on March 2 amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
The 2024 docu-film was the directorial debut of Palestinians Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal, as well as Israelis Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.
Filmed over four years, from 2019 until October 2023, the documentary consisted mainly of videos taken by Adra as he recorded the forced displacement of his people in Masafer Yatta, which Israel turned into a military training area.
It also contained footage from video archives kept by Adra’s family and neighbors, who are mostly Palestinian activists.
The documentary also showed Adra’s meeting with Abraham, an Israeli journalist and activist who came to Masafer Yatta to write about the demolitions and displacements happening in the region.
The two were able to form a bond despite their differences, and together, Adra and Abraham decided to create ‘No Other Land’.
‘Complicated and quite stressful’
Adra and Abraham have spoken extensively about the obstacles they faced while making ‘No Other Land.’
In an interview with Variety in February 2024, Abraham shared that they were “always very, very stressed” while filming and gathering materials.
While there was an abundance of footage because of the archive and Szor filming them, Abraham recalled: “The military entered (Basel’s) home twice and confiscated computers and cameras.”
“It was complicated logistically and quite stressful,” he added.
Adra was also often blocked and, at times, harassed by Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers and Israeli settlers while taking videos of the demolition in nearby villages.
In the film, Adra was nearly arrested by military authorities twice.
The second instance saw his father arrested instead, prompting him to temporarily stop his work to look after his family. His father was eventually released.
Hostility from the inside
Abraham was not safe from his fellow Israelis either.
While the IDF soldiers were much gentler with him, he was often criticized by his own people for helping Palestinians.
Although Adra’s neighbors were trusting of Abraham, some skepticism remains.
One of the villagers even told him that they could not remain friends if Israel’s destruction of their homes continued following the IDF’s demolition of the region’s only school.
There were also moments when Adra and Abraham’s differences, as well as the stress of their work, caused tensions in their relationship, amplified by lengthy silences between the two men.
While Abraham could freely leave Masafer Yatta and go back home where he was safe, Adra and his family were stuck in their village, unable to escape due to Israel’s restrictions.
Criticisms and accolades
Despite the challenges they encountered, the team persevered and ‘No Other Land’ had its world premiere on February 16, 2024, at the 74th Berlin Film Festival, where the film won the Berlinale Documentary Film Award.
In his acceptance speech, Abraham criticized Israel and called for the end of apartheid and inequality between Palestinians and Israelis.
Adra, meanwhile, urged Germany to stop sending weapons to Israel.
In response, Germany’s culture minister, Claudia Roth, called their statements “shockingly one-sided and characterized by deep hatred of Israel”, according to The Guardian.
The documentary then had its international premiere on March 15, 2024, at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film, where it bagged the Audience Award.
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It went on to be selected and screened at other international film festivals, such as the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, the 29th Busan International Film Festival, the 2024 New York Film Festival, and the 35th Singapore International Film Festival.
It also received several more recognitions, including best documentary at the Film Independent Spirit Awards and a nomination for the same category at the BAFTA Awards.
‘No Other Land’ was picked up for distribution in 24 countries, including the United Kingdom and France, according to Variety.
Despite winning an Oscar, the film still has not found a distributor in the United States, which Abraham believes to be “completely political”.
It did have a one-week Oscar-qualifying theatrical run at Film at Lincoln Center in New York City in November 2024, and a limited theatrical release on January 31 at New York’s Film Forum and in Los Angeles on February 7.
‘Stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people’
During his acceptance speech at the Oscars, Adra – who recently became a father – said he hoped his daughter’s life would not be like his.
“Always fearing settler violence, home demolitions and forced displacement,” he said.
Noting how the film reflected the “harsh reality” that his fellow Palestinians had gone through for years, Adra added: “As we call on the world to take serious action to stop the injustice and stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
Abraham, meanwhile, stressed the need for equality and unity between Israelis and Palestinians.
“Israeli hostages brutally taken in the crime of October 7, which must be freed. When I look at Basel I see my brother but we are unequal.
“We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law but Basel has to live under military laws that destroy his life and he cannot control,” said Abraham, as quoted by The Guardian.
“There is a different path. A political solution. Without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people. And I have to say, as I am here (in the US), the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path.
“Why? Can’t you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe.
“There is another way. It’s not too late for life, for the living. There is no other way.”
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