I usually steer clear of political discussions - not because I lack opinions, quite the opposite - but because even those who claim to be open-minded and well-educated often struggle to engage in meaningful conversations without turning them into hostile debates.
Too often, discussions dissolve into battles of empty rhetoric rather than genuine exchanges of ideas.
That said, "No Other Land" is not an easy documentary to review. Created by a group of Palestinian and Israeli activist filmmakers, it captures the destruction of Masafer Yatta, a cluster of villages in the southern West Bank.
Once home to generations, this land has been transformed into an Israeli military training ground, rendering its residents' presence - and even the act of rebuilding their demolished homes - illegal.
Filmmakers Basel Adra, Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, Palestinian director and farmer Hamdan Ballal, and Israeli cinematographer Rachel Szor present the harsh reality with raw honesty.
There's no embellishment, no forced emotional manipulation - just the infuriating truth. The film doesn't tell us anything new about war crimes, occupation, or the fight for Palestinian sovereignty. Instead, it shows us what those words truly mean for the people living them every day.
Why is this documentary so important? Oscar or no Oscar, "No Other Land" is perhaps the most authentic depiction of life under occupation - a stark contrast to the shocking, sensationalized videos that flood social media.
Not that those clips aren't real, but let's be honest - most of us have no idea what life on the ground actually looks like. We aren't there, on the frontlines, facing the devastation firsthand.
This film strips away the spectacle of war, the manufactured narratives, and the distant outrage. Instead, it presents the quiet resilience of a people fighting to preserve what little remains of their homes, culture, and dignity.
No dramatization, no spectacle - just silence, destruction, and the unbearable weight of injustice.
Perhaps it's easier to look away, to stay in a comfort zone of selective outrage while ignoring the real crimes happening in plain sight.
But "No Other Land" makes looking away impossible.
If this documentary is still playing at a theater near you, don't hesitate - go see it.
Be ready to witness a raw, unfiltered reality that rarely makes it to mainstream screens. Let it challenge you, make you uncomfortable, and most importantly, make you think about the truth this collective is revealing.
