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Best Documentary Oscar winner ‘No Other Land’ praised for “moving” speech on Palestine

'No Other Land' wins Oscar for Best Documentary Feature

The makers of documentary No Other Land have received praise for their powerful acceptance speech after winning the Best Documentary Feature Oscar.

The film, which is made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective and focuses on the displacement of Palestinians from a region in the West Bank, took home the award during tonight’s (March 2) ceremony.

Upon accepting the award, co-director Basel Adra said: “About two months ago I became a father and my hope to my daughter that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now, always fearing surveillance, home demolitions and forced displacements that my community is living and facing every day under the Israeli occupation.

“No Other Land reflects the harsh reality that we’ve 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.”

Fellow director Yuval Abraham added: “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.

“When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal,” he continued. “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.

“There is a different path, a political solution, without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both our people. And I have to say, as I am here, the foreign policy of this country is helping to block this path. Why?

“Can’t you see that we’re 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. There’s no other way. Thank you.”

The speeches have since received huge praise on social media, one person writing on X/Twitter: “NO OTHER LAND WINNING AND CALLING OUT AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY.”

“That was so moving. And a redemption for the Academy,” another added, while a third said: “Perhaps the bravest Oscars speech in history. There will be a boil over tomorrow.”

“So happy for no other land i really hope Palestinian cinema continues to be more recognized and celebrated,” a fourth added.

 

The film, which won the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film and the Berlinale Documentary Film Award at the Berlin Film Festival, was not able to find a distributor in the US and has been self-distributed.

Emilia Pérez leads this year’s Oscar nominations, followed by The Brutalist, Wicked, Conclave, A Complete Unknown and Anora.

You can follow all the rolling coverage of the ceremony right here, with a winners list being updated as the evening progresses.

This year’s Oscars have done away with performances for Best Original Song, while the show honoured Los Angeles after the recent wildfires with a nod by host Conan O’Brien before later inviting many firefighters on stage.

The post Best Documentary Oscar winner ‘No Other Land’ praised for “moving” speech on Palestine appeared first on NME.