‘No Other Land’ wins Oscar for best documentary

“No Other Land,” the story of Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by the Israeli military, won the Oscar for best documentary on Sunday.

The collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers follows activist and co-director Basel Adra as he risks arrest to document the destruction of his hometown at the southern edge of the West Bank, which Israeli soldiers are tearing down to use as a military training zone. Adra’s pleas fall on deaf ears until he befriends a Jewish Israeli journalist who helps him amplify his story.

“About two months ago, I became a father and my hope to my daughter is that she will not have to live in the same life I am living now, always fearing settlers violence, home demolitions and forceful displacement that my community Masafer Yatta is living and facing everyday under the Israeli occupation,” Basel Adra said after receiving the award.

He further stated that the documentary reflects the harsh reality that Palestinians have been enduring for decades in the Occupied West Bank and called on the world to take serious action to stop the injustice and prevent the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.

“We made this film as Palestinians and Israelis because, together, our voices are stronger,” said Israeli journalist and filmmaker Yuval Abraham. He used his acceptance speech to call out his country’s government for the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people.

The documentary came into the night aa a top contender after a successful run on the film festival circuit. It did not, however, find a U.S. distributor after being picked up for distribution in 24 countries.

“No other Land” was filmed over four years between 2019 and 2023, and wrapped production days before Hamas launched attacks on  October 7, 2023. In retaliation, Israel destroyed Gaza and killed over 60,000 people from October 8, 2023 and January 19, 2025.

In the film, Israeli journalist Abraham embeds in a community fighting displacement, but he faces pushback from Palestinians who point out his privileges as an Israeli citizen. Adra says he is unable to leave the West Bank and is treated like a criminal, while Abraham can come and go freely.

“When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal,” Abraham said on stage. “We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life. There is a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people.” United States foreign policy under President Donald Trump is “helping to block this path,” he said.

The film shows camcorder footage from Adra’s personal archive. He captures Israeli soldiers bulldozing the village school and filling water wells with cement to prevent people from rebuilding.

Residents of the small, rugged region of Masafer Yatta band together after Adra films an Israeli soldier shooting a local man who is protesting the demolition of his home. The man becomes paralysed, and his mother struggles to take care of him while living in a cave.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has attacked and displaced about 40,000 Palestinians over the last one month from Jenin, Tulkarm and other areas of North West Bank.