"No Other Land" .. Palestinian-Israeli Film Wins Oscar for Best Documentary

The Palestinian-Israeli film "No Other Land" (No Other Land), won the Oscar for Best Feature Documentary today, Monday, March 3, 2025.

The film, created by Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, took 5 years to produce and documents the violations faced by Palestinians in the West Bank, including home demolitions, forced displacement of residents to make way for military training areas, and attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian residents.

The film highlights the parallel realities experienced by friends Adra and Abraham; while Abraham enjoys freedom of movement, Adra suffers from siege and increasing isolation, limiting his freedom in an area that grows more isolated day by day.

During their acceptance speech at the awards ceremony, the directors called on the international community to end the conflict, pointing out that the United States obstructs reaching a just solution.

Basel Adra stated: "The film 'No Other Land' reflects the harsh reality we have been suffering for decades and continue to resist. We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people."

Yuval Abraham added: "We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because our voices together are stronger. We see each other, and we see the brutal destruction that has befallen Gaza and its people, which must end, and the Israeli hostages who were brutally kidnapped on October 7 must be released."

He emphasized the need for a political solution without racial superiority, ensuring the national rights of both peoples, saying: "There is a different way, a political solution without racial superiority, ensuring the national rights of both our peoples. I must say while I am here that the foreign policy of this country contributes to blocking this path."

He concluded by saying: "Don't you see that our lives are intertwined? And that my people can truly be safe if Basel's people are free and truly safe? There is another way. It is not too late for life."

Film Synopsis

The film "No Other Land" follows the story of Palestinian activist Basel Adra, who risks arrest to document the destruction of his hometown in the southern part of the West Bank, where Israeli soldiers demolish homes to convert the area into a military training zone.

The film, a collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian directors, presents a powerful image of the complex reality of the conflict and calls for an end to injustice and a just solution for both peoples.

Israeli Reactions

Israel launched a wide condemnation campaign against the film, with Israeli Minister of Culture Mickey Zohar attacking the film and describing its Oscar win as a "sad moment for the world of cinema."

Zohar tweeted on the "X" platform, as reported by "Times of Israel": "Instead of presenting the complexity of our reality, the filmmakers chose to echo narratives that distort Israel's image in the world."

Zohar added: "Freedom of expression is an important value, but turning the distortion of Israel into a tool for international promotion is not creativity, it is sabotage of the State of Israel. After the October 7 massacre, and the ongoing war, this exacerbates the damage."