Documentary on Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes wins Oscar

No Other Land, a powerful documentary highlighting Palestinians' resistance against Israel’s demolitions of their homes, has won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. This marks the first Oscar win in history for Palestine.

The film, created by Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, triumphed over strong contenders, including Porcelain War, Sugarcane, Black Box Diaries, and Soundtrack to a Coup d’État.

Filmed between 2019 and 2023, the documentary follows Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra as he risks his safety to document the destruction of his hometown, Masafer Yatta, by the Israeli army. Located on the southern edge of the occupied West Bank, Masafer Yatta is being systematically demolished as Israel seeks to turn the area into a military training zone.

Adra's journey led him to form a friendship with Jewish-Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, who helped bring his story to a global audience.

Read: Film on Israeli occupation of Palestine 'No Other Land' nominated for Oscar

While accepting the Oscar, both filmmakers delivered moving speeches, reaffirming their commitment to exposing Israeli war crimes.

"About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope for my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now—always fearing settlers, violence, home demolitions, and forced displacement, just as my community endures daily under Israeli occupation," Adra said.

He also urged the international community to act against Israel’s ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Abraham emphasised the strength of Palestinian and Israeli voices standing together.

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"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, who must be freed," he said.

He also criticised the US for enabling Israel’s military offensive and stressed that a just solution requires political efforts "without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people."

Despite struggling to find a distributor in the US, the filmmakers managed to secure a one-week theatrical run at Lincoln Center, making the documentary eligible for the Academy Awards.

Before receiving this prestigious honor, No Other Land had already won the Audience Award and the Documentary Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2024, along with the Best Non-Fiction Film award from the New York Film Critics Circle.