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More than 350 film world figures, including Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and Javier Bardem, have published an open letter on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival condemning “silence” over the deadly impact of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

The letter, published on the website of France’s Libération newspaper on Monday evening, was headed “In Cannes, the horror Gaza must not be silenced”. It was addressed “For Fatem”, in memory of 25-year-old Gaza artist and photojournalist Fatima Hassouna.

The young woman was killed in an Israeli airstrike in mid-April just 24 hours after it was announced a documentary exploring her life in the Gaza Strip would world premiere in the Cannes. Ten of her relatives, including her pregnant sister, were killed in same strike.

“She was a Palestinian freelance photojournalist. She was targeted by the Israeli army on 16 April, 2025, the day after it was announced that Sepideh Farsi’s...

Looking for what to see in theaters? Our feature, updated weekly, highlights our top recommendations for films currently in theaters, from new releases to restorations receiving a proper theatrical run.

While we already provide extensive monthly new-release recommendations and weekly streaming recommendations, as distributors’ roll-outs can vary, this is a one-stop list to share the essential films that may be on a screen near you.

April (Dea Kulumbegashvili)

Like Beginning, April also carries the mark of reality, mediated. The director is inspired by fictionalized stories gleaned from the real world––especially her hometown, a village at the foot of the Caucasus mountains in Georgia and its people. Beginning’s sparse dialogue, long takes, and atmosphere of violence closing in on the main character––a Jehovah Witnesses pastor’s wife played by the new film’s lead, Ia Sukhitashvili––made space thicken and swell, while April breathes. Arseni Khachaturan’s patient,...

Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of No Other Land, has detailed the violent assault he endured in the West Bank last month, describing the experience as a brutal reminder of the persistent dangers facing his community. In an op-ed published in The New York Times, Ballal reflected on the attack, carried out by Israeli settlers, during which he was mocked for his recent Oscar victory.

On March 24, during Ramadan, Ballal rushed to document an attack after being alerted by a neighbor in his native village of Susiya. When the situation escalated, he returned home to protect his family. Moments later, he was confronted outside his home by settlers and soldiers he recognized. Ballal recounted being beaten, cursed, and derided as an “Oscar-winning filmmaker” while his wife and children screamed from inside their home. “I felt guns bashing my ribs. Someone punched me in the head from behind. I fell to the ground.

Hamdan Ballal, the Oscar-winning co-director of No Other Land, recounted his brutal attack and capture by Israeli settlers, saying he was mocked for his accolade amid his kidnapping. Calling the incident the “worst moment of my life,” the filmmaker urged continued international attention on Palestine and the “near-daily violence” its residents experience.

In a heartfelt New York Times op-ed titled “My Oscar for ‘No Other Land’ Didn’t Protect Me From Violence,” Ballal described the disillusionment he felt accepting an award on “one of the world’s most important stages” and afterward returning home to his Masafer Yatta region to see that he and his community were “still trapped in the same grinding loop of violence and subjugation.”

“In an instant, it was as if the Oscars had never happened, as if the award didn’t mean anything,” he recalled of the attack.

Ballal wrote that the attack occurred on...

Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the celebrated documentary No Other Land, has published a new essay about being beaten and degraded by Israeli settlers, then blindfolded and detained at an army base, just weeks after winning an Academy Award.

Ballal offered a detailed account of the harrowing experience, which he called “the worst moment of my life,” in a New York Times op-ed. “I could hear my wife and kids screaming and crying, calling for me and telling the men to go away,” he wrote of the attack, adding: “My wife...

Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land” has been made newly available for digital rent in North America in an effort to fundraise for Masafer Yatta communities.

The three-week fundraiser, which starts Friday and lasts through May 9, allows individuals and organizations to rent the film and hold their own screenings. Proceeds will go to the Masafer Yatta communities that are depicted in the film.

“We decided to independently make our film accessible online in the U.S. because, despite winning the Oscar, our community is still being destroyed and we urgently need help. All the money we get from this fundraiser will go directly to the community, physical and psychological support to help families recover after settler attacks, a local sheep fodder factory to create employment, and English classes so the younger generation has more tools to tell our stories,” Basel Adra, one of the filmmakers, who worked alongside Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor,...

The most essential, vital documentary of the last year, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor’s No Other Land, is now finally available to watch at home for a limited time. The Indie Film Site Network Advocate Award winner and Academy Award Best Documentary winner from the Palestinian-Israeli collective takes an intimate, harrowing look at the day-to-day destruction and violence inflicted on Palestinian lives in the West Bank. While its successful North American theatrical run continues as the film nears $2.4 million at the box office, it’s now available digitally in an exclusive, fundraising window in North America.

No Other Land is now available for digital rentals, and individual supporters and organizations can host screenings in their own communities via Theatrical On Demand®, Virtual Event Cinema, home gatherings, or anywhere they secure an event venue across North America. The film is available for an exclusive, three-week period...

Filmmakers Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor are making their Oscar-winning documentary, “No Other Land,” available to audiences in an exclusive, fundraising window in North America.

“No Other Land” is now available for digital rentals, and individual supporters and organizations can host screenings in their own communities via Theatrical On Demand, Virtual Event Cinema, home gatherings, or anywhere they secure an event venue across North America.

Audiences can rent the film and secure screenings at www.nootherland.com. The film is available for an exclusive, three-week period beginning today and ending May 9th, 2025.

All filmmaker proceeds from digital rentals and ticket sales (and any additional donations) will support the Masafer Yatta communities featured in the documentary, including support to families attacked by settlers and the funding of English and documentary classes to grow the next generation of local storytellers. Learn more at supportmasaferyatta.com

“My father was...

Exclusive: Hamdan Ballal and his fellow No Other Land filmmakers are thanking top members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for signing a letter that pushed AMPAS leadership to take a firmer stance condemning an attack on Ballal by Israeli settlers.

Palestinian filmmakers Ballal and Basel Adra and Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor wrote a note which has been distributed today to all the signatories of Friday’s letter. “Dear friends,” the note says, “We wanted to briefly share with you that Hamdan’s physical condition has improved over the past few days and he is at home with his children. The letter you wrote in support of him has been deeply moving for us personally, and also important politically, especially as the attacks on the Masafer Yatta community continue every day. At a time when we felt ignored by the Academy it meant a...

The global filmmaking community voiced its outrage some days ago after Hamdan Ballal, the Oscar-winning Palestinian co-director of the documentary film No Other Land, was detained by Israeli authorities amid the ongoing occupation of Gaza. Ballal was subsequently released, alleging mistreatment at the hands of the Israelis. Coincidentally, No Other Land managed to pass a domestic box office milestone in the immediate aftermath of the incident, having survived over two months theatrically without proper distribution. The film's inability to find studio backing has been described as soft censorship, especially in the context of its global success.

This weekend, No Other Landpassed the $2 million mark at the domestic box office, after getting a one-week Oscars qualifying run last year. Having opened theatrically in January, the movie made around $135,000 this weekend; at the same time, another film about the Israel-Palestine conflict, The Encampments, delivered a record per-theater average thanks to sold-out screenings...

The Academy Awards, which recently appreciated Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal during the 2025 event, came under fire after CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang refused to address his recent assault and abduction by Israeli authorities. That’s when Mark Ruffalo joined Joaquin Phoenix, Elizabeth Olsen, and 500 other actors to condemn the Academy’s move.

After Hamdan Ballal was detained by the Israeli army on suspicion of throwing stones and causing property damage, the Academy Award committee issued an open letter condemning the harm or suppression of artists, without mentioning Ballal’s name. This controversial move raised eyebrows and led actors to rally behind Ballal while slamming the Academy.

A still from No Other Land (2024) | image: Cph:Dox, Hi Gloss Entertainment Academy’s controversial move after Hamdan Ballal’s detention by the Israeli army

Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, who recently won an Oscar for his co-directorial work on the documentary No Other Land,...

The Academy has apologised for its initial response to the reported attack on ‘No Other Land’ co-director Hamdan Ballal, which drew the ire of the filmmakers and Academy members.

Following a hastily-convened emergency session of the governors on Friday morning, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang issued a statement.

“On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, co-director of No Other Land, connected to his artistic expression. We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name,” they said.

“We sincerely apologize to Mr.

As the reigning Oscar winner for Best Documentary Feature, No Other Land and its quartet of filmmakers — Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal,Basel Adra, and Rachel Szor — should be taking a victory lap. Despite a significant theatrical boost (it's now the top-grossing documentary since Free Solo in 2018), the film and its directors have been unable to fully enjoy the fruits of their Academy Award victory. Here's a brief look at everything that has gone wrong.

'There is much less space for this kind of criticism'

No Other Land chronicles a developing alliance between Adra, a Palestinian activist, and Abraham, an Israeli journalist. They collaborate to show the destruction of the occupied West Bank's Masafer Yatta by Israeli soldiers. The film became an immediate sensation on the international scene, winning the Best Documentary prize at last year's Berlin Film Festival. It went on to score top honors from the International Documentary Association,...

Updated: Hamdan Ballal and his fellow “No Other Land” filmmakers are expressing gratitude to top members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for signing a letter urging Academy leadership to take a stronger stance in condemning an attack on Ballal by Israeli settlers.

The Academy released a statement Wednesday condemning “harming artists” but did not name the individuals involved. By Thursday morning, a letter began circulating among AMPAS members criticizing the Academy’s leadership for failing to publicly support Ballal.

As of Monday afternoon, nearly 900 Academy members — including actor Mark Ruffalo, director Ava DuVernay and Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón — had signed the letter denouncing the Academy’s silence following Ballal’s reported detainment by Israeli authorities. Most recent signatories include J.J. Abrams, Guillermo del Toro, Ben Affleck, Jane Fonda and more.

Ballal and his fellow “No Other Land” directors shared the following letter with all the signatories:

Dear friends,...

British leading lights Olivia Colman, Jonathan Glazer, Riz Ahmed, and Jessie Buckley are among hundreds of Academy members who have signed a letter circulating on Friday in which they lambast the Oscar body’s response to the reported attack on and detention of No Other Land co-director Hamdan Ballal.

The missive has been sent to Academy members and decries the Academy’s “indefensible” position, after CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang sent a letter to members on Thursday in which they condemned harm or suppression of artists based on their viewpoints, but did not mention Hallal by name, and...

Believe it or not, this review was scheduled shortly before the buzz hit. Sadly, yesterday, Hamdan Ballal was assaulted during a settlers’ raid and arrested by the Israeli army, only weeks after “No Other Land” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. But let’s assume you do not know anything about the film and start with the beginning.

In the south of the West Bank lies a handful of small Bedouin villages known as Masafer Yatta. The area has been designated a military zone by the Israeli authorities, and its residents are therefore being forced out. “No Other Land” documents the resistance of these inhabitants against this decision. Four people – two Israelis and two Palestinians, journalists and activists that met in action – unite to fight this situation with their cameras. Among them, Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian photographer already involved in fighting the occupation and Rachel Szor, an Israeli...

A number of documentary branch members have reacted angrily to a statement put out Wednesday by AMPAS leaders Bill Kramer and Janet Yang, which suggests that the beating and arrest of recent Oscar-winner Hamdan Ballal is something Academy members will have “many unique viewpoints” on.

Ballal, who won an Oscar earlier this month for co-directing best documentary feature winner No Other Land, was attacked and arrested by the Israeli military on Monday night during a confrontation with settlers that took place on the West Bank, in the village of Susiya, Ballal’s hometown. The Palestinian filmmaker sustained injuries to his head and stomach, and was zip-tied and blindfolded, according to co-director Yuval Abraham, before being released the next day.

In an email sent today to Kramer and Yang, Aj Schnack — a documentarian, branch member and founding director of the Cinema Eye Honors awards ceremony — wrote: “It’s hard for me...

Oscar-winning No Other Land filmmaker Yuval Abraham is continuing to exert pressure on the Oscar Academy for the way it has responded to a violent settler attack on Palestinian co-director Hamdan Ballal and his Israeli military detention earlier this week.

Israeli director Abraham, who had previously criticised the organisation’s failure to publicly support Hamdan in the wake of his arrest, has hit out at a letter co-signed by Bill Kramer and Janet Yang sent to Academy members on Wednesday, seemingly in response to what happened to Ballal.

They condemned “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints”, but also noted that the Academy represented “close to 11,000 global members with many unique viewpoints.”

Abraham slammed the letter.

“After our criticism, the academy’s leaders sent out this email to members explaining their silence on Hamdan’s assault: they need to respect ‘unique viewpoints’,” wrote Abraham in an X post.

The Academy has drawn backlash after issuing a statement to members seemingly addressing criticism for not speaking out in support of Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal — one of the filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land” — who earlier this week was attacked by Israeli settlers and then detained by the Israeli army, according to the Associated Press. The statement, which was sent Wednesday night and signed by Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang, did not mention “No Other Land” or Ballal by name.

“The Academy condemns harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints,” reads the statement in part. “We are living in a time of profound change, marked by conflict and uncertainty — across the globe, in the U.S. and within our own industry. Understandably, we are often asked to speak on behalf of the Academy in response to social, political and economic events. In these instances,...

Head over to Auditorium Three at the Laemmle Theater’s Monica Film Center in downtown Santa Monica one afternoon this week and you’ll catch a screening No Other Land, the Oscar-winning documentary about the Israeli government’s efforts to evict Palestinians from the southern West Bank community of Masafer Yatta with a decidedly negative view of the Israel Defense Forces.

Stick around after the closing credits for the next showtime, though, and a rather different movie will come up: October 8, the newly released film about the Hamas massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023 and Jewish students bullied on American campuses with a decidedly negative view of the academic left.

The screening-room convergence offers a concrete example of what is fast becoming a kind of cinematic ballot box: Two documentaries mainstream Hollywood wouldn’t touch, each becoming hits with sharply different views and audiences.

“We believe that all kinds of...

Yuval Abraham, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, has hit out at a letter the Academy sent to members after he previously criticised the Oscar body for not commenting publicly on the arrest and detention of Palestinian colleague Hamdan Ballal.

After Abraham posted his disappointment with the Academy on X earlier this week for not responding with a statement on Ballal’s arrest, despite similar moves by the Berlinale, Cph:dox, International Documentary Fund, and Channel 4, Academy chairman Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang reached out to members on Wednesday.

”After our criticism, the academy’s [sic] leaders sent...

After “No Other Land” co-director Yuval Abraham took to Twitter/X earlier March 26 to criticize the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for not releasing a statement in support of his co-director and fellow Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, following Ballal’s beating and arrest in the West Bank earlier this week, AMPAS has sent a letter to its membership clarifying its position on political issues.

Without naming Ballal directly, the Academy’s letter, co-signed by CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang, condemned “harming or suppressing artists.” It was sent to the Academy’s membership by email the evening of March 26.

What follows is the entire letter:

Dear Academy Members,

At the heart of the Academy’s mission is a commitment to honoring excellence in the motion picture arts and sciences and connecting the world through the power of cinema. We do this through our work on the Oscars,...

The Palestinian co-director of Oscar winning film No Other Land, Hamdan Ballal, has spoken to UK newspaper The Guardian about his attack by Israeli soldiers and settlers in his West bank home this week, saying: “I thought I was going to die.”

“It all started around 6pm on Monday,” said Ballal in an interview with Jerusalem based Lorenzo Tondo, having being released on Tuesday(March 25) after Israeli forces detained him in a police station in the West Bank.

“We had finished our daily Ramadan fast in Susya in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron, when someone called me to...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.News No Other Land.Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal was violently attacked by a group of masked Israeli settlers and subsequently arrested by the army, apparently under suspicion of “hurling rocks.” The following day, Yuval Abraham, who codirected No Other Land (2024) with Ballal, wrote that “after being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family.” According to the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, there have been at least 43 attacks against the Palestinian residents of Susya since the beginning of the year. “This might be their revenge on us for making the movie,” says Basel Adra, who also codirected the film. “It feels like a punishment.

A day after “No Other Land” co-director Hamdan Ballal was released from his brief detainment in the West Bank, his fellow filmmaker Yuval Abraham has called out the Academy for not publicly supporting one of their own.

“Sadly, the U.S. Academy, which awarded us an Oscar three weeks ago, declined to publicly support Hamdan Ballal while he was beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers and settlers,” Abraham wrote early Wednesday morning.

“The European Academy voiced support, as did countless other award groups and festivals. Several U.S. Academy members — especially in the documentary branch — pushed for a statement, but it was ultimately refused,” he added. “We were told that because other Palestinians were beaten up in the settler attack, it could be considered unrelated to the film, so they felt no need to respond.”

Indeed, Ballal and Abraham were part of the Palestinian and Israeli filmmaking team who won...

Yuval Abraham, one of the filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” has criticized the Academy for not commenting on the attack of his Palestinian co-director Hamdan Ballal.

Ballal was released by Israeli authorities on Tuesday after Abraham wrote on X the day prior that he had gone missing after being attacked. “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film ‘No Other Land,’” Abraham said. “They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since.”

Reports of Ballal’s attack and detainment sparked a petition calling for his release and statements from organizations like the International Documentary Association. On Wednesday, Abraham called out the Academy in a post on X for not speaking out.

“Sadly, the U.S. Academy, which awarded us an Oscar three weeks ago, declined...

No Other Land co-director Yuval Abraham has claimed that the “US Academy, which awarded us an Oscar three weeks ago, declined to publicly support Hamdan Ballal while he was beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers and settlers”.

Israeli filmmaker Abraham, who has been active on X in recent days documenting the attack on his co-director Ballal, drew a contrast today between the Academy’s silence and support from The European Academy and “countless other award groups and festivals”. He added: “Several US Academy members—especially in the documentary branch—pushed for a statement, but it was ultimately refused. We were told that because other Palestinians were beaten up in the settler attack, it could be considered unrelated to the film, so they felt no need to respond.”

https://twitter.com/yuval_abraham/status/1904828586009252249

Abraham called on the Academy to condemn the attack: “While Hamdan was clearly targeted for making No Other Land...

It’s been a day of dramatic developments for No Other Land, the Oscar-winning documentary about life for Palestinian residents in the rural West Bank area of Yasafer Matta.

Hamdan Ballal, one of the two Palestinian filmmakers who joined two Israeli directors to make the film, was released from custody by Israeli authorities Tuesday after prominent members of the documentary community, including Alex Gibney and Maite Alberdi, demanded his release (so did Oscar-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo). Israeli police held Ballal overnight after questioning him and two other Palestinians for allegedly throwing stones at Israeli settlers in the West Bank and “endangering regional security.” Ballal and two of his fellow directors – Palestinian Basel Adra and Israeli Yuval Abraham – suggested the authorities were offering a false narrative and that it was Ballal who came under attack from masked Israeli settlers.

Ballal told the Associated Press that he was detained at an army base overnight and blindfolded,...

An eyewitness to the arrest of Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal has detailed the moment she saw the Oscar winner zip-tied and blindfolded by police.

Raviv Rose spoke to The Hollywood Reporter from the West Bank, where Ballal, a co-director of the Academy Award-winning documentary No Other Land, as well as two other men, Khaled Mohammad Shanran and Nasser Shreteh, were attacked and arrested Monday night, according to Israeli director Yuval Abraham. Abraham said Ballal “has injuries to his head and stomach, bleeding” after being assaulted by a group of settlers in his home village of Susiya.

On Tuesday, Abraham posted an update to say that Ballal had been released.

Rose, a Jewish American living in the region, tells THR she witnessed the aftermath of the attack. The 24-year-old is with an organization called the Center for Jewish Nonviolence and describes their work as “protective presence work,” a form of solidarity activism.

Following his attack by Israeli settlers and subsequent arrest by Israeli authorities, Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal — the co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land — has been freed.

“After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family,” Ballal’s co-director Yuval Abraham wrote on X. It was Abraham’s posts that helped circulate the news of Ballal’s attack, which occurred just outside his West Bank village home.

Abraham first reported on Monday, March 24 that Ballal was “lynched,...

The harrowing story involving No Other Land co-director Hamdan Ballal has reached a positive end. Following his fellow co-director Yuval Abraham revealing that Ballal was reportedly missing after being attacked and forcibly removed from an ambulance, he has provided another update about his fellow documentary filmmaker that thankfully ends this story without anyone losing their lives.

Abraham took to his X page to update his followers that Ballal had been freed following his devastating ordeal. Abraham wrote, "After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family." Abraham has been the primary source of information following Ballal going missing and was essential to having the story picked up by news publications to spread the word. Although it sounds like Ballal still went through a very trying ordeal, it's good to learn that he's back with his family and is safe.

Hamdan Ballal, a co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, has been released from custody at a police station in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, reports the Associated Press.

According to AP’s journalists on the ground, Ballal was released on Tuesday afternoon with a bruised face and bloodied clothing. Lea Tsemel, the attorney representing Ballal and two other Palestinians, said they were accused of throwing stones at a young settler. They deny the allegations.

Palestinian residents told the Associated Press that two dozen settlers attacked their village of Susiya in the West Bank on Monday evening, as they were breaking fast during Ramadan. The residents further allege that soldiers who arrived on the scene pointed guns at Palestinians as settlers kept hurling stones.

On Monday, the Israeli military confirmed it had taken custody of three Palestinians suspected of throwing stones at their forces and one Israeli...

No Other Land’s Palestinian co-director Hamdan Ballal has been freed, after reportedly being attacked by Israeli settlers in his village on the West Bank and arrested.

Ballal’s Israeli co-director Yuval Abraham posted on X in the past hour: “After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family.”

Abraham raised the alarm of Ballal’s assault and detainment in a military base yesterday (March 24).

“After the assault, Hamdan was handcuffed and blindfolded all night in an army base while two soldiers beat him up on the floor,...

“No Other Land” co-director Hamdan Ballal is now free after being detained in West Bank, according to his fellow director Yuval Abraham.

“After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family,” Abraham wrote on X early Tuesday morning.

“Last night, several assailants threw stones at Israeli civilians, damaging their vehicles near Sussiya in the Judea Brigade sector. A violent confrontation then broke out at the scene, involving mutual rock-throwing between Palestinians and Israelis,” an Idf spokesperson said in a statement. “Upon the arrival of Idf and police forces to disperse the confrontation, a number of assailants began throwing stones at security personnel.”

“In response, the forces arrested three Palestinians suspected of hurling stones at the security forces, as well as one Israeli civilian involved in the altercation,” the statement continued. “The detainees were taken...

Updated March 25 9:12am Et “No Other Land” co-director Yuval Abraham has said that Hamdan Ballal is “free and is about to go home to his family” after he “was handcuffed and blindfolded all night in an army base while two soldiers beat him up on the floor.”

Updated March 24 7:00 Pm Et Hamdan Ballal, one of the Oscar-winning co-directors of the Israeli-Palestinian documentary “No Other Land,” was attacked by settlers while in the West Bank and then taken by soldiers, according to Ballal’s other co-director Yuval Abraham. The Guardian corroborated it with a report Monday that Ballal was arrested by the Israeli military after being attacked by a group of 15 masked settlers who attacked his house in Susya in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron.

Abraham on Monday, March 24 first posted on X that Ballal was “lynched” by a group of settlers, presumably referring to Israeli settlers...

Hamdan Ballal, one of the Palestinian co-directors of Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, has been freed after being detained and beaten, according to the documentary’s Israeli co-director Yuval Abraham.

Hamdan Ballal is free and is about to go home to his family

— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) March 25, 2025

After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family.

— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) March 25, 2025

Fellow No Other Land director Basel Adra has posted an image of Ballal in hospital receiving treatment.

Abraham claimed in a post to X today that their co-director was “handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base”. In an earlier post the director said he spoke to Ballal’s lawyer Leah Tsemel who conveyed the report of him being beaten by authorities.

In a separate differing account,...

West Bank-based movie No Other Land won the Best Documentary Feature award at the 2025 Oscars. The film, made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, triumphed over Black Box Diaries, Porcelain War, and Sugarcane. The compelling documentary was released in 2024 and premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. It captivated the audience with its portrayal of the struggle of the Palestinians in Masafer Yatta.

A still from No Other Land | Credit: Antipode Films

The movie was made between 2019 and 2023. It primarily focuses on the forced displacement of Palestinians from their homes in Masafer Yatta, which is a region in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. While receiving the award, the co-director Basel Adra gave a heartwarming speech about the motive of the film. Want to know more about the cast and plot of the movie? Let’s take a look.

The cast and crew members of No Other Land

A dedicated team of cast and crew members directed the movie.

In a shocking turn of events that has left the film community buzzing with concern, Hamdan Ballal, one of the four brilliant minds behind the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, found himself caught in a frightening situation earlier this week.

The Palestinian filmmaker was reportedly attacked by Israeli settlers and then detained by Israeli authorities in the occupied West Bank, sending ripples through Hollywood and beyond.

Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham in No Other Land (2024) | Credits: Cph:Dox, Hi Gloss Entertainment

The incident, which unfolded on Monday in the small village of Susya within the contested Masafer Yatta area, has raised serious questions about filmmaker safety and the ongoing tensions in the region.

Just weeks after celebrating his documentary’s triumph at the 97th Academy Awards alongside co-directors Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, and Rachel Shore, Ballal now finds himself at the center of a troubling international incident that’s quickly gaining global attention.

If life were a film, then some scenes would be too raw to watch, leaving us questioning how much truth we’re willing to confront. Take, for instance, the chilling fate of Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian filmmaker behind the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land. Just 22 days after basking in the glory of the Academy Award for Best Documentary, he finds himself brutally attacked by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

No Other Land (2024) | Credit: Higloss Entertainment

The brutal ambush escalated with the Israeli military stepping in—not to protect him—but to detain him. And so, Ballal, once celebrated for his unflinching portrayal of Palestinian life, is now missing, leaving a story untold, a voice silenced, and questions unanswered.

The attack on Hamdan Ballal that shocked the world

Hamdan Ballal, co-director of No Other Land, a film that won hearts globally with its raw and unfiltered look at life under Israeli occupation,...

The world often dances around the edges of reality, avoiding the sharp edges of truth like a hot potato. And while some stand on the sidelines, trying to make a name for themselves in the echo chambers of global debates, others are out there, on the ground, experiencing the brutality of what the world pretends not to see. Take, for example, Hamdan Ballal.

Not long ago, No Other Land took home the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, a film that shed light on the harsh realities of Palestinian life under Israeli occupation. But less than a month after that monumental win, one of its directors, Hamdan Ballal, found himself in the most horrifying of situations—attacked by Israeli settlers in the village of Susiya, a place central to the very story his film told.

No Other Land (2024) | Credit: Higloss Entertainment

Meanwhile, Gal Gadot, the Israeli actress who has often used...

Update 9 Am Et 03/25 : Hamdan Ballal's co-director Yuval Abraham reported that he was freed from Israeli custody and was returning home.

Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the documentary No Other Land that won Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, has been kidnapped by Israeli soldiers, according to his co-director Basel Adra and other eyewitnesses at the scene. He was reportedly beaten by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank before being hauled away. Adra told CNN that he had rushed to Ballal's home in the village of Susya after he received a distressed phone call from his colleague, only to see Ballal and at least one other person escorted from the premises, with some settlers throwing stones while Israeli police and military fired at bystanders to keep them away. At this time, it is currently unknown where he is located.

Regarding the incident, the Israeli military claimed to...

No Other Land

Hamdan Ballal, who co-directed Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land with Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra and Rachel Szor, has reportedly disappeared following an assault by a group of 10 to 20 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, where he lives. The incident occurred at around 6pm.

"A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film No Other Land," tweeted Abraham, who is also a longstanding friend of the missing man. "They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called and took him. No sign of him since."

A video has emerged showing Ballal and two Jewish activists being attacked by a masked, stone-throwing mob and seeking refuge in a car, whose windscreen was subsequently broken. According to reports, he was blindfolded before being taken away. The Israeli military has said that it is investigating the incident....

One of the co-directors behind the Academy Award-winning Best Documentary film No Other Landhas been assaulted in his home in Masafer Yatta by Israeli settlers and is currently being detained by the Israeli military for unknown reasons. According to TheAssociated Press, filmmaker Hamdan Ballal was beaten up by Israeli settlers. The report said that a group of 10-20 masked settlers attacked him and other Jewish activists with stones and sticks, smashing their car windows and slashing their tires.

The Academy Award-winning documentarian was left with his head bleeding. While being treated in an ambulance, soldiers detained Ballal and a second Palestinian man. The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident but did not immediately comment to The Associated Press. The activist group Center for Jewish Nonviolence said dozens of settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area, destroying property. Josh Kimelman, a 28-year-old eyewitness at the scene,...

Update: Per Twitter/X, Hamdan Ballal has been released:

Hamdan Ballal is free and is about to go home to his family

— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) March 25, 2025

The original story continues below.

Hamdan Ballal, one of four filmmakers behind the documentary "No Other Land," which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary earlier this month, has reportedly been arrested by the Israeli military after being assaulted by masked Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

According to Jewish-American activists, who videotaped the attack, Ballal was surrounded and beaten by the settlers near his home in Masafer Yatta, the same region that is targeted for destruction by the Israeli military in the documentary. The incident started when somewhere between 10 and 20 masked assailants began throwing stones at Palestinians. The Center for Jewish Nonviolence provided the AP with a copy of the video, which they claim shows a masked settler swinging on two of the group's activists.

Hamdan Ballal, one of the Palestinian directors of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was attacked by Israeli settlers and detained by the Israeli authorities, according to his co-directors and a Jewish activist group.

Yuval Abraham, one of the Israeli co-directors on the film, wrote on X Monday, March 24, “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film No Other Land. They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since.

Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was attacked by Israeli settlers and arrested by soldiers while being treated for his injuries, according to social media posts by fellow director Yuval Abraham.

“A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film ‘No Other Land.’ They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since,” Abraham posted Monday on X.

But other witnesses said that a stone-throwing fight broke out between Israelis and Palestinians after an Israeli shepherd was attacked by Palestinians, according to witnesses who spoke to Israel Hayom, a Hebrew-language daily newspaper.

Three Palestinians were arrested in connection to the fight, including Ballal. Israel Hayom reached out to the Idf for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

Activists from the Center for...

Update: Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Israel-Palestine documentary “No Other Land,” has been freed, according to a social media post from co-director Yuval Abraham.

“After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family,” Abraham posted on X on Tuesday.

Previously: Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning Israel-Palestine documentary “No Other Land,” is reportedly missing after being attacked, according to a series of posts on X from co-director Yuval Abraham.

“A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film ‘No Other Land,'” Abraham posted on X Monday. “They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since.”

The Associated Press reported that activists from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence saw Ballal get beat up...

Hamdan Ballal, one of the Palestinian co-directors of Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was attacked by a mob of Israeli settlers close to his West Bank village on Monday and then arrested by soldiers, according to the documentary’s Israeli co-director Yuval Abraham.

In a post on X, Abraham reported: “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film No Other Land. They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called and took him. No sign of him since.”

Ballal is one of four co-directors on No Other Land, alongside fellow Palestinian filmmaker and activist Basel Adra, Abraham and Israeli cinematographer, editor and director Rachel Szor.

Shot between 2019 and 2023, No Other Land captures the struggle of people living in the West Bank Palestinian villages of Masafer Yatta in the face of attempts by Israeli authorities and settlers...

Hamdan Ballal, the Oscar-winning filmmaker of No Other Land, has reportedly been arrested by Israeli soldiers after settlers attacked his house.

Ballal’s collaborator Yuval Abraham shared the distressing news on Twitter on Monday: “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film No Other Land. They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since.”

Citing five Jewish American activists who witnessed the attack, the Guardian reports that Ballal was surrounded and attacked by about 15 armed settlers in the Palestinian village of Susiya in the Masafer Yatta region on Monday. Soldiers eventually intervened and arrested Ballal.

Palestinian-born Ballal co-directed No Other Land as part of a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four activist-filmmakers, including Abraham. The film chronicles the systematic demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank over a four-year...

Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner has withdrawn his proposed plan to evict O Cinema from its publicly owned building over the theater’s decision to screen the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land.”

Instead, he said at a City Commission meeting on Wednesday that he wants the theater to offer “a fair and balanced viewpoint” going forward, according to the Miami Herald. The update comes the same day that city officials were set to vote on the theater’s future.

Commissioners Tanya Katzoff Bhatt, Laura Dominguez, Alex Fernandez, Kristen Rosen Gonzalez and Joseph Magazine voiced their disagreement with Meiner’s plan at said meeting, while David Suarez offered his support. The vast majority of local attendees were in opposition to Meiner’s proposal, per the paper.

“I legitimately viewed this as a public safety threat,” the mayor said. “I really am appreciative of the passion that we saw today.”

On Monday,...