No Other Land Oscar win – love it, hate it, ignore it
JVL Introduction
The stunning and well-deserved Oscar success for the documentary No Other Land, about Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the West Bank community of Masafer Atta, has been greeted with almost universal acclaim. Even the right-wing Daily Express acknowledged the power of the film’s message, publishing the video from which our screenshot above is taken and leading its report:
The Palestinian-Israeli cinematic creation No Other Land claimed the coveted Oscar for best documentary feature film, with its team displaying a united front with the Palestinians during their triumphant moment at the 97th Academy Awards. As they took to the stage, the words of Palestinian journalist Basel Adra resonated powerfully.
The Express quoted Adra speaking about living with displacement under occupation and calling for global action “to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people” and his Israeli co-director Abraham saying he lives “free under civil law” in stark contrast to the different legislation which applies to Adra and all Palestinians.
The BBC, however, no doubt stung by its recent battering over screening a documentary about children in Gaza, did not broadcast the documentary awards and reported that there was minimal politics at the Oscars!
At the furthest extreme, Israel’s Culture Minister Miki Zohar said the film “serves the enemies of the state” and should not be shown in Israeli cinemas.
We publish below Ha’aretz’s report of Zohar’s call, followed by the paper’s own editorial on the subject which urges all Israelis to watch it.
NWI
This article was originally published by Ha'aretz on Mon 3 Mar 2025. Read the original here.
Israeli Culture Minister Urges Theaters to Avoid Screening No Other Land After Oscar Win
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The Haaretz editorial finishes by saying:
‘Instead of continuing to repress reality, to curse those who dare to show it and incite against them, as Zohar did after the film’s victory, Israelis would do better to watch this important film and understand that establishing a Palestinian state would give members of both peoples equal rights.’
Yes, and Peace.
The tragedy is that it could have happened decades ago but for the zionist zealots (both in Israel and elsewhere). Will we never be free of the war-mongering hate-mongering fear-mongering psychopaths on this planet of ours, and the whole world live in peace and harmony with each-other and Mother Nature until the end of time.
I have little doubt that the vast majority of people on Earth would infinitely prefer such a reality and existence. Of course they would!
Did Yuval Abraham not post that Hamas were Supremacists and must be stopped?.. I most certainly saw one such post shared online today..
see https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/sjjxkw7o1g
Israel complains that it is hated by Palestinians who are prompted by that hatred to wish Israel gone. It has only ever had one answer, which is to perpetuate and deepen the policies which prompted Palestinian anger in the first place, thus ensuring that this anger inevitably persists. The amazing resilience with which the Palestinian people, who had never provoked these violent oppressions to begin with, continue somehow to deal with daily living, is a lesson to us all. It is shameful that Israel refuses to learn it. .
Whilst welcoming the plaudits that this movie has received, the tragedy is that it has taken so long for such a film to gain an Oscar. This film (another co Palestine Israeli production) was showing at film festivals in 2011 and won several awards though not an Oscar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcTN3g-b0iA
Your link to Ha’aretz does not display the full article because of the paywall. Here is a link to the archive article https://archive.ph/BfJOg
It is noticeable that Miki Zohar, Israel’s Culture Minister, in response to the award, criticized the film claiming that it represented a “distorted” image of Israeli reality and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Zohar also wrote that the film ‘defames our name worldwide. We must ensure that state funds are not used to finance content that harms the state and serves its enemies.”
Earlier Zohar had called the film’s win “a sad moment,” that manipulates and distorts Israel’s image for international audiences.
There was no suggestion that the film was inaccurate. How could there be? The sole reason Zohar and fellow Zionists are suggesting that it should not be shown in Israel is because the truth damages or ‘slanders’ Israel’s image.
Such is the State of Israel today. They have even given up on Hasbara. ‘Anti-Semitism’ is the only tool left in the box. In many ways this was left to co-director Yuval Abraham in his speech.
I agree with Nadia Elia’s critique in Mondoweiss that Yuval’s speech was a
‘masterpiece of liberal hasbara, saviorism, and “both sides-ism.” He spoke of “both peoples” being “intertwined,” and called for the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza, stressing that freedom for Palestinians would ensure the safety of his people. Nowhere in his speech was there even a hint of the questioning of Zionism, of the fact that Israel, by its mere existence, dispossesses the Palestinian people.’
Yuval spoke of the ‘crimes of October 7’ but not the Genocide that took place after it. Nor about the 10,000+ Palestinian hostages. The film is good but we should not go easy on Abraham because of that.
https://tinyurl.com/ytwd6bj7
The BBC does no have a post “West Bank documentary maker criticises US policy in Oscars speech” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg1vdr4dzko
Thanks for pointing that out Ian. It doesn’t change the fact that the BBC’s main reports of the Oscars did not mention the documentary film award and said there was not much politics at the ceremony!