Best Actress. Best Actor. Best Picture. On any given year, millions swarm to their television screens to see who will capture the coveted gold statue signifying excellence in their craft. Oscar winners are cemented into American-- and even world-- society as the best of the best. However, this year, my eyes stayed glued to the screen for a different category: Best Documentary.
Long gone are the years when I would-- shamefully-- use this section to refill up on junk food or change the channel to catch the score of a basketball game. This year, I felt I had true stakes in the outcome. Did I write, film, or even star in a documentary this past year? No, but as someone who has watched the utter destruction and ethnic cleansing occurring in Palestine from my illuminated phone screen for over a year now, when I read that 'No Other Land' was nominated-- no other category mattered.
'No Other Land' is a documentary feature directed by Palestinian journalist, lawyer, and now director-- Basel Adra. It follows the destruction of the West Bank's Masafer Yata over four years: 2019 to 2023, wrapping filming up before the events of October 7th. It showcases the devastating plight the community has faced for years, giving the world a look inside at what was occurring even before Israel took their ethnic cleansing up to a new, unthinkable level.
From scenes showcasing a local playground being destroyed to civilians being forcibly pushed from the only land they have ever known, we also see a friendship form between Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham.
My excitement didn't stop at the nomination. Last night, I sat with my Dad-- fingers crossed-- when they muttered the words, "And the Oscar goes to.."
"No Other Land"
If you heard me, you would have thought I was right there in the Dolby Theatre the way I jumped up. I even scared my dog, Cody, a bit. Truthfully, I felt tears come to my eyes as I clapped my hands. This film is so important, and it was equally as important that the Academy recognized it with such an amazing honor.
Adra accepted the award with a powerful message, stating, "We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people,” This was astonishing to watch live, especially because it is rare we hear such a claim on mainstream television programs without someone calling one a 'Hamas sympathizer,' 'anti-Semitic", or a "radicalized leftist." The stage was theirs, and they took full advantage of this rare opportunity to speak to the world.
The speech didn't stop there. Abraham pleaded for equality for Adra-- whom he referred to as his brother-- and Palestinians alike. He even went as far as to criticize his government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for the horrid treatment of innocent Palestinians. It ended with a plea for hope from Abraham, calling on the world to wake up, proclaiming, "Why can’t you see that we are intertwined, that my people [Israeli] can be truly safe if Basil’s people [Palestinians] are truly free and safe?”
While 'No Other Land' was nominated for an Oscar-- and ultimately won-- no U.S. publisher has picked it up for distribution. Could it be that showing the truth, that the torture of the Palestinian people began far before October 7th, is harmful to the relationship America has built with its best friend in the Middle East, Israel? That the propaganda wouldn't work anymore on the American people? The failure to distribute a critically acclaimed movie is inherently a political decision by Hollywood executives, but it is no surprise.
Representation is important, and I'm glad 'No Other Land' was given its flowers Sunday night. It easily was my best picture, even if it wasn't nominated. However, an award, some brief applause, and a 2-minute speech [estimating, of course] will not change the fact that thousands of Palestinians continue to face the brutality of the Israeli apartheid regime and have, as of now, been cut off from aid. A genocide is occurring, and the world is turning a blind eye.
One line in the film stuck out to me, and I want to share it as a parting message to signify the fight of the Palestinian people.
"We have no other land."
Photo Credit:
[Header]: No Other Land
[Embedded 1]: No Other Land Movie Poster
[Embedded 2]: Rich Polk
Sources:
[1]-https://variety.com/2025/awards/news/no-other-land-oscar-speech-ethnic-cleansing-gaza-1236321688/
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