No Other Land

Last updated

No Other Land
No Other Land film poster.jpg
Festival release poster
Directed by
Written by
  • Basel Adra
  • Hamdan Ballal
  • Yuval Abraham
  • Rachel Szor
Produced by
  • Fabien Greenberg
  • Bård Kjøge Rønning
CinematographyRachel Szor
Edited by
  • Basel Adra
  • Hamdan Ballal
  • Yuval Abraham
  • Rachel Szor
Music byJulius Pollux Rothlaender
Production
companies
  • Yabayay Media
  • Antipode Films
Release date
Running time
95 minutes
Countries
  • Palestine
  • Norway
Languages
  • Arabic
  • Hebrew
  • English

No Other Land is a 2024 documentary film directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor in their directorial debut. The film was made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four activists as an act of resistance on the path to justice during the ongoing genocide in the region. [1] [2]

Contents

A co-production between Palestine and Norway, the film was selected for the Panorama section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 16 February 2024, [3] winning the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film, [4] and the Berlinale Documentary Film Award. [5]

Premise

A young Palestinian activist named Basel Adra has been resisting the forced displacement of his people by Israel's military in Masafer Yatta, a region in the West Bank, since he was a child. He records the gradual destruction of his homeland, where Israeli soldiers are tearing down homes and evicting their inhabitants. He befriends Yuval, an Israeli journalist who helps him in his struggle. They form an unexpected bond, but their friendship is challenged by the huge gap between their living conditions: Basel faces constant oppression and violence, while Yuval enjoys freedom and security.

Production

In an interview at the Berlinale, Adra and Abraham spoke with Variety about the film.

Basel Adra spoke about development of the film. He said, "Yuval and Rachel, who are Israelis, came five years ago to write about things — Yuval is journalist — we met and we became friends but also activists together, working on articles about the area." He further said, "And then we got the idea of doing this, of creating this movie."

About filming Abraham said: [6]

Basal’s family and neighbors had a huge archive of videos that were filmed over the course of 20 years. And then we as activists, we were there on the ground together, working together for almost five years, and we filmed a lot. We had Rachel, the cinematographer and co-director of the film, who was shooting us. So there was an abundance of footage. The military entered Basal’s home twice and confiscated computers and cameras. So we were always very, very stressed. It was complicated logistically and quite stressful, but in the end we managed.

Release

No Other Land had its world premiere on 16 February 2024, as part of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, in Panorama. [7] [8]

The film will have its international premiere at Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival on 15 March 2024 in the section "Urgent Matters" and the theme "Conflicted" themes. [9] It featured in the "Popular Front(s)" in the 46th Cinéma du Réel Festival that took place from 22 to March 31 2024 in Paris. [10]

Reception

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes website, the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 8 reviews. [11] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 91 out of 100 based on 5 reviews, indicating "Universal Acclaim". [12]

Olivia Popp, reviewing the film at Berlinale for Cineuropa , wrote: "No Other Land is at its best when it achieves cinematographic mobility, the camera acting as an extension of this activist interrogation of violent Israeli occupation and not as a detached observer." [13]

Lovia Gyarkye reviewing the film for The Hollywood Reporter dubbed it as "A devastating portrait," and opined, "The film is not a document of solutions, but it does position itself as a step in the movement toward a future where Palestinians are just as free as Israelis." [14]

Jonathan Romney, reviewing the film at Berlinale, wrote in ScreenDaily : "A documentary that is particularly urgent and eye-opening in the context of the current Israeli–Palestinian conflict." [15]

Guy Lodge writing in Variety said, "Given the conditions of its production, No Other Land would be vital even in a more ragged form. But the filmmaking here is tight and considered..." [16]

David Ehrlich of IndieWire reviewing at Berlinale graded the film A and wrote, "The footage is out there, and it’s rarely been assembled into a more concise, powerful, and damning array than it is here. Now it only has to be seen." [17]

Writing for RogerEbert.com , Robert Daniels said, "In the hands of these filmmakers the camera becomes a weapon for truth and resistance, and a tool for conservation — recording some proof that their village existed". [18]

Accolades

AwardDateCategoryRecipientResultRef.
Berlin International Film Festival 25 February 2024 Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary FilmNo Other LandWon [7] [4]
Berlinale Documentary Film AwardWon [19] [5] [20]
Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival 22 March 2024Audience AwardWon [21]
Visions du Réel 19 April 2024Audience AwardWon [22]

Berlinale

Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham, Berlinale Documentary Award MKr354249 Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham (Dokumentarfilmpreis, Berlinale 2024).jpg
Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham, Berlinale Documentary Award

At the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, No Other Land won the Berlinale Documentary Award and the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film. [4] During their acceptance speeches for the Berlinale Documentary Award, Abraham criticized Israel saying: [23]

We are standing in front of you now, me and Basel are the same age. I am Israeli; Basel is Palestinian. And in two days we will go back to a land where we are not equal. I am living under a civilian law and Basel is under military law. We live 30 minutes from one another, but I have voting rights. Basel is not having voting rights. I’m free to move where I want in this land. Basel is, like millions of Palestinians, locked in the occupied West Bank. This situation of apartheid between us, this inequality, it has to end.

Adra, in his acceptance speech, said: [24]

It’s our first movie since many years my community, my family has been filming our community being erased by this brutal occupation. I am here celebrating the award, but also very hard for me to celebrate when there are tens of thousands of my people being slaughtered and massacred by Israel in Gaza. Masafer Yatta, my community, is being also razed by Israeli bulldozers. I ask one thing: for Germany, as I am in Berlin here, to respect the U.N. calls and stop sending weapons to Israel.

The Berlinale also featured other numerous pro-Palestine protests during the acceptance speeches and red carpet — including from Golden Bear winner Mati Diop. [5] [25] Following the closing ceremony on 25 February 2024, an Instagram account linked to the Panorama section published an allegedly official statement from the Festival organizers, demanding German authorities to withdraw its arms supplies to Israel. Shortly afterwards, the Berlinale's main Instagram account stated that the Panorama account had been hacked, and announced plans to “file criminal charges against unknown persons”. [26] Berlin Mayor, Kai Wegner, and numerous others German politicians expressed outrage, calling the speeches "anti-semitic", with Wegner stating on Twitter that "Berlin is firmly on Israel’s side." [25] Even though the Festival is mainly funded by the German government, the organizers affirmed the "filmmakers' statements were independent and should be accepted as long as they respect the legal framework". [27] [28]

Abraham said to The Guardian , "To stand on German soil as the son of Holocaust survivors and call for a ceasefire – and to then be labelled as antisemitic is not only outrageous, it is also literally putting Jewish lives in danger," [29] and reported that his family in Israel had evacuated their home after "a right-wing Israeli mob" [30] came in search of him. He was also concerned for the safety of Adra, who had since returned to the West Bank. [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Palestine</span> Film industry in the State of Palestine

Cinema of Palestine is relatively young in comparison to Arab cinema as a whole. Palestinian films are not exclusively produced in Arabic and some are even produced in English and French. Elia Suleiman has emerged as one of the most notable working Palestinian directors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masafer Yatta</span> Palestinian villages south of Hebron, West Bank

Masafer Yatta is a collection of 19 Palestinian hamlets in the southern West Bank, in the Hebron Governorate of the State of Palestine, located between 14 and 24 kilometers south of the city of Hebron, in the southern Hebron Hills. The hamlets are situated within the municipal boundary of Yatta. The name "Masafer" is believed to derive from the Arabic words for "traveling," in light of the distance needed to travel from Yatta, or "nothing" in light of the local belief that "nothing" would be able to live in the area.

<i>Strike a Pose</i> 2016 film by Ester Gould, Reijer Zwaan

Strike a Pose is a Belgian-Dutch documentary film, which premiered in the Panorama section of the 2016 Berlinale. Directed by Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan, the film profiles the dancers who performed with Madonna on her Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">68th Berlin International Film Festival</span> Film festival

The 68th annual Berlin International Film Festival took place from 15 to 25 February 2018. German filmmaker Tom Tykwer served as Jury President.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">69th Berlin International Film Festival</span> Film festival

The 69th annual Berlin International Film Festival took place from 7 to 17 February 2019. French actress Juliette Binoche served as the Jury President.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">70th Berlin International Film Festival</span> Film festival

The 70th annual Berlin International Film Festival took place from 20 February to 1 March 2020. It was the first under the leadership of new Berlin Film Festival board: business administration director Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director Carlo Chatrian.

<i>Black Milk</i> (film) 2020 film

Black Milk is a 2020 German-Mongolian drama film directed by Uisenma Borchu. It was selected to be shown in the Panorama section at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basel Adra</span> Palestinian journalist

Basel Adra is a Palestinian activist and journalist who in 2021 was falsely accused of framing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and who in 2022 was beaten while filming the IDF demolishing a structure that he built. He co-wrote and co-directed the 2024 documentary film No Other Land, which premiered at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, at which it won two best-documentary awards.

No U-Turn is a 2022 Nigerian biographical documentary film written and directed by Ike Nnaebue. The film reflects the real issues regarding migration and the difficulties confronted by the African immigrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">74th Berlin International Film Festival</span> 2024 film festival edition

The 74th annual Berlin International Film Festival, usually called the Berlinale, took place between 15 and 25 February 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong'o was named the Jury President for the main competition. This year’s Berlinale was Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek’s final edition in charge, following their dismissal in 2023. The festival opened with Tim Mielants' Small Things like These.

<i>Andrea Gets a Divorce</i> 2024 Austrian film by Josef Hader

Andrea Gets a Divorce is a 2024 Austrian drama film directed by Josef Hader. The film starring Birgit Minichmayr tells the story of rural policewoman Andrea, who wants a divorce and become a detective inspector in the city, but gets involved in a hit-and-run after a birthday party her drunken husband runs out in front of her car.

<i>Meanwhile on Earth</i> 2024 French film

Meanwhile on Earth is a 2024 French science fiction drama film directed by Jérémy Clapin. The film starring Megan Northam as Elsa, revolves around an 'absent' hero, Franck, who disappeared during a space mission three years ago. His sister Elsa who was very close to him, find it difficult to continue her life, till one day she is contacted by an alien life form.

<i>My New Friends</i> (film) 2024 French film

My New Friends is a 2024 French Psychological drama film directed by André Téchiné. The film starring Isabelle Huppert, revolves around Lucie a specialized agent in the scientific police. Her solitary daily life is disturbed by the arrival in her housing estate of a young couple and their little girl.

<i>Scorched Earth</i> (2024 film) German crime film

Scorched Earth, a 2024 German crime film directed by Thomas Arslan is a sequel to 2010 film In the Shadows. Mišel Matičević is reprising his role as Trojan, a professional criminal who specializes in robberies.

<i>All Shall Be Well</i> (film) 2024 Hong Kong film

All Shall Be Well is a 2024 Hong Kong drama film written and directed by Ray Yeung. The film starring Patra Au, Maggie Li Lin Lin initially revolves around Angie and Pat, who are a well-off lesbian couple in their mid-60s but the story ultimately explores family dynamics after the sudden death of Pat.

<i>Maydegol</i> 2024 Iranian documentary film

Maydegol is a 2024 documentary film written and directed by Sarvnaz Alambeigi. The work is about an Afghan teenager Maydegol, an immigrant in Iran, who strives to pursue her dream of becoming a professional Muay Thai boxer while battling the social injustice and violence she encounters beyond the ring.

<i>Memories of a Burning Body</i> 2024 Spanish drama film

Memories of a Burning Body is a 2024 drama film written and directed by Antonella Sudasassi Furniss. The film starring Sol Carballo and Paulina Bernini, portrays the story of Ana, Patricia and Mayela, who, educated in a repressive era where sexuality was taboo, found the meaning of femininity through unspoken rules and implicit impositions.

<i>Sex</i> (2024 film) 2024 Norwegian drama film

Sex is a 2024 Norwegian drama film written and directed by Dag Johan Haugerud for Viaplay. The film starring Jan Gunnar Røise and Thorbjørn Harr, is the first instalment in the new "Sex Dreams Love" trilogy. It follows two men in heterosexual marriages whose unexpected experiences challenge their perceptions of sexuality, gender and identity.

<i>Direct Action</i> (film) 2024 documentary film

Direct Action is a 2024 French–German documentary film directed by Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russell. Taking its title from the tactical protest strategy of the same name, the film is a modern portrait of one of the most important militant activist communities in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuval Abraham</span> Israeli journalist, film director, translator and activist

Yuval Abraham is an Israeli investigative journalist, film director and Arabic–Hebrew translator. He rose to international prominence when he co-directed the documentary No Other Land (2024) about settler violence in the West Bank and gave an anti-occupation and anti-apartheid speech at Berlinale.

References

  1. ↑ The film shows the destruction of the occupied West Bank's Masafer Yatta community by Israeli soldiers. Adra, Basel (22 January 2024). "No Other Land". Cineuropa . Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  2. ↑ Dijksterhuis, Edo. "Camera as a weapon of proof". International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam . Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  3. ↑ Abbatescianni, Davide (17 January 2024). "The Panorama strand of the Berlinale to open with Levan Akin's Crossing". Cineuropa . Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Roxborough, Scott (24 February 2024). "Berlin: Memories of a Burning Body, No Other Land Win Panorama Audience Awards". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Abbatescianni, Davide (24 February 2024). "Mati Diop's Dahomey bags the Berlinale Golden Bear". Cineuropa . Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  6. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (16 February 2024). "Palestinian, Israeli Activists Talk No Other Land Doc on Eradication of Palestinian Villages and Hopes It Can Help 'Find a Political Solution'". Variety . Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  7. 1 2 Goodfellow, Melanie (17 January 2024). "Berlinale Unveils Full Panorama, Forum & Generation Line-Ups With New Films By Nathan Silver, Levan Akin, André Téchiné & Bruce LaBruce". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  8. ↑ "No Other Land". Berlinale. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  9. ↑ "No Other Land: Rachel Szor, Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra & Hamdan Bilal / Palestine / 2024 / International Premiere / 95 min". CPH:DOX. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  10. ↑ Lemercier, Fabien (22 March 2024). "Documentaries cause a stir in Paris thanks to the Cinéma du Réel Festival". Cineuropa. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  11. ↑ "No Other Land (2024, Documentary)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "No Other Land". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  13. ↑ Popp, Olivia (18 February 2024). "Review: No Other Land". Cineuropa . Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  14. ↑ Gyarkye, Lovia (20 February 2024). "No Other Land Review: A Sobering Doc Chronicles Violent Evictions of Palestinians in the West Bank". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  15. ↑ Romney, Jonathan (17 February 2024). "No Other Land: Berlin Review". ScreenDaily . Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  16. ↑ Guy Lodge (23 February 2024). "No Other land Review: A Frank, Devastating Protest Against Israel's West Bank Occupation". Variety . Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  17. ↑ Ehrlich, David (23 February 2024). "No Other Land Review: A Vital and Wrenching Doc About Israel's Barbaric Efforts to Expel a Palestinian Community". IndieWire . Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  18. ↑ Daniels, Robert (21 February 2024). "Berlin Film Festival 2024: Abiding Nowhere, Pepe, No Other Land". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  19. ↑ "Berlinale Documentary Award and Jury". Berlinale. 24 February 2024. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  20. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (24 February 2024). "Mati Diop Doc Dahomey Wins Berlin Golden Bear". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  21. ↑ Carey, Matthew (22 March 2024). "'The Flats' And 'No Other Land' Land Big Honors at CPH:DOX". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  22. ↑ "Le Grand Prix décerné à la Suissesse Nicole Vögele". Tribune de Genève . 21 April 2024. Archived from the original on 7 May 2024.
  23. ↑ Axelrod, Toby (26 February 2024). "Israeli journalist criticizes West Bank 'apartheid' at Berlin film festival ceremony marked by Gaza war protests". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  24. ↑ Goodman, Amy (5 April 2024). "Israeli Director of "No Other Land" Slams Claims of Antisemitism After Berlin Film Fest Controversy". Democracy Now!. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  25. 1 2 Ntim, Zac (26 February 2024). "Berlin Mayor Criticizes "Anti-Semitic" Berlinale Closing Ceremony As Hackers Post Ceasefire Message To Fest's Social". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  26. ↑ Frater, Patrick (26 February 2024). "Berlin Film Festival Files Criminal Charges After Anti-Semitic Hacking, Criticizes Award-Winner Statements". Variety . Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  27. ↑ "Berlinale film festival marred by 'antisemitic' protests". euronews . 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  28. ↑ Vicente, Álex (20 February 2024). "The Berlinale on the war front: How the Israel–Palestine conflict undermined the film festival". El País . Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  29. 1 2 Oltermann, Philip; editor, Philip Oltermann European culture (27 February 2024). "Israeli director receives death threats after officials call Berlin film festival 'antisemitic'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 19 March 2024.{{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  30. ↑ Pita, Antonio (2 March 2024). "'We will be waiting for you': Israeli filmmaker targeted by death threats after speech in Berlin". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.