Palestinian-Israeli Doc ‘No Other Land’ Wins Best Doc Feature, Director Calls Out American Foreign Policy
During their 2025 Oscars speeches for the best documentary feature for No Other Land, the filmmakers called out U.S. foreign policy in Israeli-Palestinian relations.
No Other Land, made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, depicts the destruction of the occupied West Bank’s Masafer Yatta territory by Israeli soldiers and the alliance that develops between Palestinian journalist and co-director Basel Adra, and Israeli journalist and co-director Yuval Abraham.
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Adra began his Oscars acceptance speech on Sunday, saying, “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 live now, always fearing Settler violence and home demolitions and fearing displacement that my community is living and facing every day.”
He added: “We call on the world to stop the injustice and stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
Abraham continued, “We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger. We see each other and the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end, and the Israeli hostage brutally taken in the crime of October 7th, which must be freed.”
Abraham continued, “There is a different path, a political solution. I have to say, as I am here, the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path. Why? Can’t you see we are intertwined? Can’t you see that my people will be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe?”
No Other Land has long faced difficulties landing distribution in the U.S. “It could perhaps be explained by the thought that this topic is sensitive, and, ‘Why touch it? Why take the risk?’” Abraham told The New York Times in December.
Despite the lack of distribution, the movie found major backing among the documentary community and has earned many awards, including IDA and Spirit awards. At the Oscars, No Other Land beat out Black Box Diaries, Porcelain War, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat and Sugarcane.
The 97th Academy Awards were hosted by Conan O’Brien at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. See the star-studded Oscars red carpet 2025 arrivals and the full winners list here.
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