‘No Other Land,’ a story told by a Palestinian and Israeli directorial team about Palestinian life under occupation in the West Bank by the state of Israel. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary at the 97th Academy Awards.

The film follows the "unlikely alliance" formed between Palestinian activist, Basel Adra, and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, as Adra’s community is "destroyed by Israel‘s occupation." The film takes place over five years and has been described by critics as “powerful,” “moving,” and “urgent and eye-opening.”

Adra took time in his acceptance speech to share his hope that his daughter would grow up in a world free of the fears that have followed him his entire life.

The filmmakers have refused to shy away from the documentary’s message

In the weeks leading up to the Oscars, the destruction of Masafer Yatta, the community at the center of the documentary has continued, with Adra continuing to publish updates.

The Oscar for Best Documentary is far from the first prestigious award won by ‘No Other Land.’

In February 2024, the film was nominated and won two awards at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. Critics later described the speeches as “anti-Semitic,” by German leaders including Berlin’s mayor Kai Wegner. Abraham reported that after his speech, his family was attacked by a right-wing Israeli mob and that his family was forced to evacuate their home.

When accepting the award for Berlinale Documentary Award, Abraham began by explaining that when the two return home they “go back to a land where [they] are not equal,” with Basel living under military law, and Abraham under civilian law.

Abraham emphasized that while he can move freely, Basel and “millions of Palestinians” will remain “locked in the occupied West Bank,” and described the two-tier justice system as an “apartheid.”

“This situation of apartheid between us, this inequality, it has to end.”

Adra spoke about the mixed emotions he felt in winning the award. “I am here celebrating the award, but also very hard for me to celebrate when there are tens of thousands of my people being slaughtered and massacred by Israel in Gaza,” said the Palestinian activist. A year later, the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is falling apart, with the Israeli government stopping the flow of all aid into Gaza at a time of immense need.

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