The documentary No Other Land, which chronicles the fight of Palestinians against the demolition of their homes by the Israeli military, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature on Sunday.
The film, a collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, triumphed over Porcelain War, Sugarcane, Black Box Diaries, and Soundtrack to a Coup d’État to claim the prestigious award.
A Story of Resistance and Collaboration
Produced between 2019 and 2023, No Other Land follows Palestinian activist Basel Adra as he documents the destruction of his hometown, Masafer Yatta, in the southern West Bank. The Israeli military has been demolishing homes there to use the area as a training zone. Adra, risking arrest, captures the devastation and pleas for justice. His cause gains momentum when he befriends Jewish-Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, who helps amplify his story to a wider audience.
Accepting the Oscar, Adra highlighted the film’s portrayal of the harsh realities Palestinians endure.
“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’m living now—always fearing settlers, violence, home demolitions, and forced displacement,” he said. “My community faces this daily under Israeli occupation.”
Adra called on the global community to take serious action against what he described as “ethnic cleansing” of the Palestinian people.
A Call for Change
Co-director Abraham emphasized the importance of their collaboration, stating, “We see each other. The atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people must end. Israeli hostages, brutally taken in the crime of October 7th, must be freed.”
He also criticized the Israeli government’s policies, arguing for a different path: “A political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people.” Abraham further pointed to U.S. foreign policy as an obstacle to peace, urging a reexamination of its role in the conflict.
“Can’t you see that we’re intertwined—that my people can only be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe? There is another way. It’s not too late,” he said.
Critical Acclaim and Recognition
Despite its success, No Other Land has struggled to secure a U.S. distributor. To qualify for the Oscars, its filmmakers arranged a limited one-week screening at New York’s Lincoln Center in November 2024.
The Oscar win adds to a growing list of accolades for the documentary. It previously won the Audience Award and Documentary Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2024, as well as the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Non-Fiction Film.
The film heavily relies on camcorder footage from Adra’s personal archive. His recordings document Israeli soldiers bulldozing a village school, sealing water wells with cement to prevent rebuilding, and an incident where a soldier shoots a protester, leaving him paralyzed. The footage shows the man’s mother struggling to care for him while living in a cave.
The Broader Context
The occupied West Bank is home to approximately three million Palestinians and more than 500,000 Israeli settlers. While settlers hold Israeli citizenship, Palestinians live under military rule, with the Palestinian Authority overseeing population centers.
Major human rights organizations have labeled the situation as apartheid—an accusation the Israeli government rejects, asserting that the West Bank is the historical and biblical heartland of the Jewish people. The government remains firmly opposed to Palestinian statehood.
With its Oscar win, No Other Land continues to shed light on the human cost of the conflict, ensuring that voices from Masafer Yatta reach a global audience.
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