No Other Land not distributed in US for political reasons, film critic says
Saleem Albeik, a Palestinian writer and film critic, has told Al Jazeera that No Other Land, the film that won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature on Sunday, was not carried by any distributors in the United States for “totally political” reasons.
He said the film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, in which it won the Best Documentary prize, and it has since been distributed in countries such as France and the United Kingdom.
“Until now – it has been more than a year [since the premiere] – the film went to many festivals, and got many nominations and prizes,” he said, adding that there should be no economic concerns over distributing the film.
Albeik said he believed the film was not distributed in the US in order to weaken its chances of winning an Oscar.
Nor in Canada. Amazon.ca (nor .com) doesn't even show anything for "No Other Land" dvd nor blu-ray nor Prime video.
It's available in the UK to rent
https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Other-Land-Basel-Andra/dp/B0DH89NYHM
DVD listed (but out of stock) in Germany.
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/No-Other-Land-Yuval-Abraham/dp/B0DQ283MYX
Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers make defiant speech after winning best documentary Oscar
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/03/entertainment/no-other-land-palestine-israel-oscar-win-intl-hnk/index.html
A joint Israeli-Palestinian team which made a film chronicling the eviction of Palestinians from their homes in the occupied West Bank delivered a passionate speech calling out injustices faced by Palestinians on Sunday night after they won the Oscar for best documentary.
“No Other Land” tells the story of the continued demolition by Israeli authorities of Masafer Yatta, a collection of villages in the Hebron mountains of the West Bank where Basel Adra, one of the directors, lives with his family.
The documentary follows the Israeli government’s attempt to evict the villagers by force, having claimed the land for a military training facility and firing range in 1981. Viewers see the local playground being torn down, the killing of Adra’s brother by Israeli soldiers, and other attacks by Jewish settlers while the community tries to survive.
The film also shows the human connection between Adra and the film’s other creator, Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham.
While filming for “No Other Land” wrapped before Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, prompting Israel to launch its war in Gaza, the documentary’s themes are especially relevant during a time of heightened conflict in the Middle East.
Palestinians in the West Bank have faced evictions and the encroachment of Jewish settlers for decades.
Hours before the film’s Oscar win, residents of the West Bank area depicted in the documentary were attacked by Israeli settlers who were accompanied by Israeli forces, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Israeli soldiers detained three people in the area and settlers attacked residents of the village of Khirbet Asfi, in Masafer Yatta, throwing stones, destroying solar panels and damaging water tanks, Wafa reported, citing the head of the Susiya village council Jihad Nawajaa.
Images obtained by CNN showed several solar panels and a home security camera which appeared to have been damaged by stones.
CNN has contacted Israel’s military for comment.
Israel has ramped up its military campaign in the West Bank, displacing roughly 40,000 Palestinians since late January, according to the United Nations, with Israel’s defense minister promising to occupy large areas for the remainder of the year.
The Israeli military says it is targeting Palestinian militant groups in the West Bank who have mounted attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians. But Palestinians and human rights groups say the expanded assault is increasingly indiscriminate – killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure in a manner that is consistent with collective punishment.
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