A divisive Palestinian documentary wins at the Oscars – here’s where to watch ‘No Other Land’
Despite the documentary being unavailable in the United States, No Other Land won the Best Documentary Feature Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards.
Samuel L. Jackson welcomed the documentary’s creative team, Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal, and Rachel Szor, on stage to receive the award. During his acceptance speech, Adra hoped that his daughter would not experience home demolitions and forceful displacement. Adra’s current home, Masafer Yatta, faced these challenges regularly. “We call on the world to take serious action to stop the injustice and stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people,” he said. His words demanded attention for what is happening in Palestine as Adra brought up plight of his fellow Palestinians.
Abraham added that the film was made in collaboration between Israelis and Palestinians for further solidarity. “We see each other—the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people must end. The Israeli hostages brutally taken in the crime of October 7th must be freed.” While acknowledging both tragedies, Abraham added that Palestinians and Israelis are not treated equally by the Israeli government.
“My people can be safe if Basel’s people are truly safe and free.” Abraham recognized that peace can only be achieved if Palestinians are given the same rights and privileges as Israelis. It was also alleged that the United States — “this country”– is “helping to block this path” that could supposedly ease conflict and seek peace in the Middle East.
An online celebration
Social media was buzzing with delight after No Other Land won an Oscar Award. One X user wrote, “So happy for No Other Land. I really hope Palestinian cinema continues to be more recognized and celebrated.”
Others who claimed to have seen the film were touched and in tears. This X user reviewed, “I watched No Other Land. It only took 8 minutes into the movie until it made me cry. No one is free until the Palestinians are free.”
Amid the cheers over the film’s victory, other social media users were frustrated by the lack of media coverage about the film. “Funny, isn’t it, that with blanket coverage of the Oscars on UK MSM, there is no mention of this film, this award, or this speech?” wrote one exasperated X user.
Where to watch No Other Land
Despite its groundbreaking Academy Award win, No Other Land is not yet available for streaming in the United States. Fortunately, the film can be accessed through AppleTV+, Rakuten, and Prime Video with the use of a VPN service. There is also no announcement about the potential distribution for the film.
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