A joint Israeli-Palestinian team which made a film chronicling the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in the occupied West Bank, delivered a passionate speech calling out injustices faced by Palestinians on Sunday night after they won the Oscar for best documentary. Read more.
“No Other Land” tells the story of the continued demolition by Israeli authorities of Masafer Yatta, a collection of villages in the Hebron mountains of the West Bank where Basel Adra, one of the directors, lives with his family.
The documentary follows the Israeli government’s attempt to expel the villagers by force, having claimed the land for a military training facility and firing range in 1981. Viewers see the local playground being torn down, the killing of Adra’s brother by Israeli soldiers, and other attacks by Jewish settlers while the community tries to survive.
The filmmakers used their acceptance speeches to highlight the effects of Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and to call out the policies of the United States which, they said, actually “block peace”. The award was warmly applauded by the Oscar audience.
Yval Abraham, an Israeli citizen, called for the end of the “terrible destruction of Gaza” and the release of Israeli hostages. “We created this film together, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger,” he added.
Predictably, the Israeli government was furious at the win. Israel’s culture and sports minister Miki Zohar called the film “sabotage against the State of Israel” and the award “a sad moment for the world of cinema.” Zohar went on to explain that Israel has passed a law banning government funding for works of art critical of Israel.
“The film reflects the harsh reality that we have been suffering for decades, a reality that continues until today, and we call on the world to take concrete steps to end this injustice,” appealed Basil Adra who lives in the West Bank under Israeli occupation.
No distributor in USA
Despite a string of honors and rave reviews, no distributor has so far been willing to pick up this film in the United States, making it nearly impossible for American filmgoers to see it in theaters or to stream it. This is part of a broader trend in recent years in which topical documentaries criticizing Israel or the USA have struggled to secure distribution.
“No Other Land” is available NOW in Canada through the Toronto International Film Festival: click HERE.
Canada Talks Israel Palestine (CTIP) is the weekly newsletter of Peter Larson, Chair of the Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine (OFIP). It aims to promote a serious discussion in Canada about Canada’s response to the complicated and emotional Israel/Palestine issue with a focus on the truth, clear analysis and human rights for all. Readers with different points of view are invited to make comment.
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Hi Peter What are the chances of getting Bytown or Mayfair to show it in Ottawa? Alan
Hi Alan,
I don’t know. But I do know that at least one other person has called them about it. It wouldn’t hurt if others did so as well.
I watched No Other Land at the Reframe Film Festival in Peterborough. The film was well crafted and moving. It exposes in a clear and factual manner the violent injustices perpetrated on indigenous inhabitants by the still-young state of Israel. As an up-close and personal exposé, the horrific reality affects us deeply, as it should.