Palestinian Documentary “No Other Land” Wins Oscar

Resilience and Resistance: A Documentary Study of Masafer Yatta

No Other Land is a compelling 2024 documentary co-produced by Palestine and Norway. It captures the struggles of Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist resisting the forced displacement by Israeli forces in Masafer Yatta, West Bank. Directed by a collective of Palestinian and Israeli activists, this film weaves a narrative of adversity, friendship, and resistance, and has been recognized with several awards, including at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Academy Awards.

The documentary follows Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist from Masafer Yatta in the West Bank, as he documents the lives and struggles of his community amidst Israeli military operations. The documentary portrays the residents’ resilience in facing displacement, showcasing their deep-rooted connection to the land and their unwavering spirit of resistance. The film blends personal stories with broader socio-political contexts, highlighting both the daily challenges and the community’s collective efforts to maintain their home and identity.

During the Oscar winning acceptance speech on Sunday night in Los Angeles, the director Basel Adra said that his film “reflects the harsh reality we have been enduring for decades and still resist as we call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.”

Adra went on to say that “about two months ago, I became a father, and my hope to my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now.”

Adra produced the film alongside an Israeli journalist by the name of Yuval Abraham, and co-directed it with Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal and Israeli filmmaker Rachel Szor.

The Israeli filmmaker Abraham said in his speech: “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 and Basel is under military laws that destroy lives, that he cannot control.”

No Other Land was released during the time of increase in violence in the West Bank, an occupied Palestinian territory. The documentary chronicles the destruction and violence in the West Bank’ Masafer Ayata by Israeli military between 2019 and 2023. According to the UN notes the use of Palestinian homes in the West Bank by Israel as training facilities. Through the acts of violence and displacement they use these homes before demolishing them.

Israel continues to intensify violence and destruction in the West Bank since the Gaza ceasefire took affect. According to the United Nations, Israel has broken multiple ceasefire agreements.

In addition, Israel has stopped all forms of aid Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan. The United Nations (UN) has expressed concern over the human rights violations and the violence in the West Bank. UNRWA said Palestinians  “have endured the impossible, facing nearly two months of unceasing and escalating violence.”

The West Bank

The West Bank is home to over three million Palestinians and over 500,000 Israeli settlers. The 1993 Oslo Accords called for a freeze of all illegal settlements. The Israeli settlements are illegal under the international law.  The illegal settlements have substantially grown under the leadership of Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu  and Trump’s January 20t, 2025 inauguration. According to the Peace Now watchdog, additional 1,000 settler homes have been tentatively drafted by Israel in Efrat settlement, 12km (7.5 miles) southwest of Jerusalem.

The colonization of Palestine has resulted in the construction of “well over 100 settlements across the West Bank, ranging from hilltop outposts to fully developed communities that resemble small towns and suburbs with apartment blocks, malls and parks.” Major human rights groups have described the situation as apartheid, an allegation rejected by the Israeli government, which views the West Bank as the historical and biblical heartland of the Jewish people and is opposed to Palestinian statehood.

An Oscar Winning Documentary, No Other Land won multiple awards including Berlin Film Festival and New York Film Critics Circle Awards. While it is available in many parts of the world, the studios and distributors in the United States have refused to pick up the film. Even online streaming platforms have not shown interest despite it  being the highest grossing Oscar-nominated documentary. Last year, Netflix removed 24 Palestinian films from its archive, drawing accusations that Hollywood and the US media are suppressing Palestinian voices.

Streaming links are few and far between. While there are links to rent or buy the documentary on Amazon UK, Microsoft, Sky Store and AppleTV, it is unclear which regions the documentary is available in.

No Other Land Critics

Israel’s culture minister, Miki Zohar called the documentary a “sad moment,” and a  “distortion”  of the narrative. He called it a  “sabotage” against Israel. While many Palestinians saw the Oscar winning moment as a sign of hope, others remained impartial stating in order for a Palestinian to gain recognition, their struggle needs to be recognized by non Palestinians otherwise it goes unnoticed.

However, at the end of the day, No Other Land is a testament to the power of solidarity between Palestinians and Israelis. A documentary detailing the plight of Palestinians which was produced by both Palestinian and Israeli film makers won an Oscar amidst a contentious war and the genocide of Palestinians.