Los Angeles: "No Other Land," a poignant documentary exploring the Israeli displacement of a Palestinian community, captured the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film on Sunday. The film's directors used the esteemed platform to urge the global community to intervene in the ongoing conflict and criticized the United States for hindering a resolution.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the film was co-directed by Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham. Over the span of five years, the duo documented the experiences of Israeli soldiers demolishing homes and evicting residents to establish a military training area, alongside the continuous encroachment of Jewish settlers on Palestinian territories.
The documentary underscores the contrasting realities lived by the two friends-Abraham, who enjoys unrestricted travel with his yellow Israeli license plate, and Adra, who faces ever-shrinking boundaries as a Palestinian.
On accepting the award, Adra stated, "'No Other Land' reflects the harsh reality that we have been enduring for decades and still resist as we call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people."
Abraham, standing beside Adra, emphasized, "We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger. We see each other, the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people which must end, the Israeli hostages brutally taken in the crime of October 7, which must be freed."
He further elaborated on the disparities between their lives, noting, "When I look at Basel, I see my brother but we are unequal. We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basel is under military law that destroys his life and he cannot control."
Abraham concluded with a call for change, stating, "There is a different path. A political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people. And I have to say as I'm here, the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path."
He urged for a reevaluation of foreign policies, adding, "And why? Can't you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe if Basel's people are truly free and safe. There is another way. It's not too late for life, for the living."