Palestinian Oscar-Winning Director Hamdan Ballal Released By Israeli Forces—What To Know About ‘No Other Land’

Topline

Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian director who won an Oscar three weeks ago for his documentary film “No Other Land,” was released by Israeli forces Tuesday after being detained the day prior, following a confrontation in the West Bank in which Ballal’s co-director says he was attacked by Israeli settlers.

Key Facts

Why Was Ballal Detained?

Tsemel told the Associated Press Ballal and the two other detainees were accused of throwing stones at a young Israeli settler, which they denied. Abraham, and Ballal’s wife, Lamia Ballal, both said Ballal was attacked by Israeli settlers prior to being detained by soldiers. Ballal’s wife told the Associated Press she saw three men in uniform beating Ballal with rifles, stating she heard her husband scream, “I’m dying.” Abraham said in a post on X the Israeli settlers “beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding,” adding, “Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him.” The Israeli military told multiple media outlets Monday the three Palestinians were detained because they were throwing stones at Israeli forces and damaged their vehicles.

Chief Critics

Ballal’s detention drew immediate backlash from filmmakers and documentarians. A Change.org petition calling for Ballal’s freedom, co-signed by filmmakers including Oscar-winning documentarians Roger Ross Williams and Alex Gibney, garnered more than 7,000 signatures since being posted yesterday. The petition said Ballal’s detention “gravely undermines artistic freedom, human rights, and freedom of speech—core values vital to democratic societies.” The International Documentary Association also condemned Ballal’s detention, stating: “We demand Ballal’s immediate release and that his family and community be informed about his condition, location, and the justification for his detention.” Mark Ruffalo called for Ballal’s release on Instagram, stating: “Every film maker and academy member should be acting together in protest. No matter where you stand on this issue this is an attack on our beloved art from of film making.”

What Is “no Other Land?”

“No Other Land” is a joint Israeli and Palestinian production documenting the demolition of the Masafer Yatta village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The documentary is told through footage recorded between 2019 and 2023 and follows Israeli forces attempting to evict villagers as it claims the area for a military training ground. The film was directed by Ballal, Abraham, Palestinian director Basel Adra and Israeli director Rachel Szor. The documentary won many awards, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. While accepting the Oscar, the film’s directors pleaded for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “My hope to my daughter [is] she will not have to live the same life I am living now,” Adra said on stage, urging the world to “take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.” Abraham, who is Israeli, 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,” calling for Israeli forces to end military action in Gaza and for Hamas to release Israeli hostages.

Tangent

“No Other Land” has struggled to hit theaters in the United States, and some screenings have stoked controversy. Mayor Steven Meiner of Miami Beach said earlier this month he wanted to terminate the lease of O Cinema, an arthouse theater that played “No Other Land.” Meiner called “No Other Land” a “false one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people that is not consistent with the values of our City and residents.” Hundreds of filmmakers, including filmmakers Michael Moore and Barry Jenkins and actress Marisa Tomei, slammed Meiner in an open letter for “censorship.” Meiner backed down from his threat against the theater last week after struggling to secure votes from city commissioners, one of whom urged him: “Don’t force us to vote on something that could be a dialogue.” “No Other Land” also never secured a U.S. distributor, which the filmmakers have theorized is because distributors may be reluctant to attach themselves to the film’s politics.

Further Reading

Israel releases Oscar-winning Palestinian director after he was attacked by West Bank settlers (Associated Press)

Palestinians were living under occupation before the war. A Palestinian and an Israeli united to show the world their reality (CNN)