ENTERTAINMENT NEWS – Palestinian activists and Israeli journalist collaborate and win best documentary at the Oscars

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

The documentary “No Other Land” tells the story of Palestinian activists fighting to protect their community from decimation by the Israeli military. The documentary won the Oscar for Best Documentary at the Oscars on Sunday. The documentary was a collaborative effort between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers. The documentary primarily follows activist Basel Adra as he tries to document the destruction of his hometown on the southern edge of the West Bank. In doing so, Adra risks arrest and harm. As Israeli soldiers tear down his home to use it as a training zone, the audience sees Adra’s pleas for help fall on deaf ears. This goes on until he befriends a Jewish journalist, who helps him amplify the story and show the destruction occurring in the West Bank and Gaza as a whole. 

In his acceptance speech Yuval Abraham, Israeli journalist, and filmmaker, said, “We made this film as Palestinians and Israelis because, together, our voices are stronger.” Abraham used his speech to call out the Israeli government for what he called, “the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people.” He also urged Hamas to release all Israeli hostages.