LOS ANGELES: No Other Land, a film chronicling the struggles of Palestinians resisting home demolitions by Israeli forces, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature on Sunday.
The documentary, a collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, triumphed over Porcelain War, Sugarcane, Black Box Diaries, and Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat at the 96th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.
Produced between 2019 and 2023, No Other Land follows Palestinian activist Basel Adra as he documents the destruction of his hometown, Masafer Yatta, a rural area in the southern occupied West Bank that the Israeli military seeks to convert into a training zone.
The film captures Adra’s attempts to raise awareness of the demolitions, which he says have long been ignored, until he forms a partnership with Jewish-Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham.
During his acceptance speech, Adra highlighted the plight of Palestinians under Israeli occupation.
“About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope for my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I am living now—always fearing settlers, violence, home demolitions, and forcible displacements,” Adra said.
He called on the international community to take action against what he described as the “ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
Abraham, addressing the audience, said the collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers strengthened their voices.
“We see each other: the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end; Israeli hostages, taken in the October 7 attack, who must be freed,” he said.
He criticised Israeli policies that have led to demolitions in Masafer Yatta, arguing that a political solution must ensure equal rights for both Israelis and Palestinians.
“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,” he added.
Personal documentation
The documentary relies heavily on camcorder footage from Adra’s personal archive. It shows Israeli forces bulldozing a village school, sealing water wells with cement to prevent rebuilding efforts, and violently dispersing residents protesting demolitions.
In one scene, an Israeli soldier shoots a Palestinian protester, leaving him paralysed, while his mother struggles to care for him in a cave.
The film was co-directed by Adra, Abraham, Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, and Israeli filmmaker Rachel Szor.
Despite critical acclaim, No Other Land struggled to find a distributor in the United States, prompting its makers to organise a limited one-week screening at New York’s Lincoln Center in November 2023 to qualify for the Oscars.
International recognition
The Oscar adds to the film’s growing list of accolades, including the audience award and Best Documentary prize at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2024, as well as the Best Non-Fiction Film award from the New York Film Critics Circle.
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The film’s release came against the backdrop of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza, which, according to Palestinian health officials, has resulted in over 48,000 deaths, with an estimated 13,000 more buried under rubble. Rights groups have accused Israel of committing genocide.
Masafer Yatta, where No Other Land is set, is home to Palestinian communities who have faced decades of demolitions and displacement. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank, where approximately three million Palestinians reside. Settlers are governed by Israeli civil law, while Palestinians live under military rule, with limited autonomy granted to the Palestinian Authority.
International human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have described Israel’s policies in the occupied territories as apartheid.
During his speech, Abraham urged world leaders to rethink their policies, criticising US foreign policy for obstructing peace efforts.
“Can’t you see that we’re intertwined? There is no other way,” he said.
