Showing posts with label Oscars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oscars. Show all posts
Monday, March 3, 2025
ACCEPTANCE SPEECHES: NO OTHER LAND Accepts the Oscar for Documentary Feature Film !!!
ACCEPTANCE SPEECHES The Oscar for Documentary Feature Film goes to NO OTHER LAND! Congratulations to Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham on taking home the Oscar. See more Oscar acceptance speeches and highlights on Oscars.com.
Oscars 2025: The winner for best documentary feature [NO OTHER LAND] still has no U.S. distribution... ‘No Other Land’ Oscar winners call for a different path on Israeli-Palestinian conflict
NPR: The 2025 Oscars: Heavy on speeches, light on politics, and one big winner
In January, Justin Chang wrote that No Other Land "brings us into Masafer Yatta, a community of Palestinian villages in the Israeli-occupied southern West Bank, which is being bulldozed by the Israeli military to make room for a tank training ground." He also said the film, made by a team of Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, was "the most powerful nonfiction film [he] saw in 2024." Then, as now, it lacked U.S. distribution; as of mid-February, the filmmakers were self-distributing to a few movie theaters. The filmmakers spoke powerfully from the Oscar stage about not only the destruction depicted in the film, but also their frustration with U.S. foreign policy. It is now almost certainly the most decorated film of last year not to be widely available in the United States.
No Other Land
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CNN: Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers make defiant speech after winning best documentary Oscar
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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... READ MOREhttps://www.cnn.com/2025/03/03/entertainment/no-other-land-palestine-israel-oscar-win-intl-hnk/index.html
‘No Other Land’ Oscar winners call for a different path on Israeli-Palestinian conflict
 |
| Basel Adra, from left, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, and Yuval Abraham accept the award for best documentary feature film for “No Other Land” during the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) |
The filmmakers behind ‘No Other Land,’ which won the Oscar for best documentary, called for a different path forward to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in their acceptance speech Sunday.
“There is a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people,” said Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham, in his acceptance speech.
“And I have to say, as I am here, the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path,” Abraham continued, knocking President Trump’s approach to foreign policy.
The film is a collaboration between Israelis and Palestinians, and it follows activist Basel Adra as he documents the destruction of his hometown at the southern edge of the West Bank, which Israeli soldiers are tearing down to use as a military training zone, according to The Associated Press. Adra then befriends a Jewish Israeli journalist to help tell his story.
“We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together, our voices are stronger. 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, which must be freed,” Abraham said on stage.
“When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal,” he
continued. “We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law, and
Basel is under military laws that destroy his life, and he cannot
control.” .... READ MORE https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5172274-no-other-land-oscar-winners-call-for-a-different-path-on-israeli-palestinian-conflict/
No Other Land directors criticise US as they accept documentary Oscar: ‘US foreign policy is helping block the path’ to peace
Self-distributed film about Israeli displacement of a Palestinian community beat out Porcelain War and Sugarcane
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/03/no-other-land-wins-best-documentary-feature-oscar
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| Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham in No Other Land. Photograph: Antipode Films |
Speaking to a standing ovation, the film-makers thanked the Academy before co-director Basel Adra said he had recently become a father and hoped his daughter’s life would not be like his – “always fearing certain violence, home demolitions and forced displacement”.
He continued by saying his film reflected “the harsh reality” that his fellow Palestinians had endured for many years, “as we call on the world to take serious action to stop the injustice and stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people”.
Co-director Yuval Abraham then took to the stage to say that Palestinians and Israelis had made the film together “because together our voices are stronger. We see each other the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people must end.
“Israeli hostages brutally taken in the crime of October 7 which must be freed. When I look at Basel I see my brother but we are unequal. we live in a regime where I am free under civilian law but Basel has to live under military laws that destroy his life and he cannot control.
He continued: “There is a different path. A political solution. Without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people. And I have to say, as I am here, the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path.
“Why? Can’t you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly
safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe. There is another way.
It’s not too late for life, for the living. There is no other way.” ...READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/03/no-other-land-wins-best-documentary-feature-oscar
Monday, February 10, 2025
No Other Land’ is a shocking look at Palestinian life under occupation - a documentary about the systemic demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank
Movie Review
The irony shouldn’t be lost on anyone that “No Other Land,”
a documentary about the systemic demolition of Palestinian homes in the
West Bank, cannot find a cinematic home, either with a distributor or a
major U.S. streamer.
Producers have opted to self-distribute this powerful, pointed look at Israel’s policies in seized land despite the movie earning an Oscar nomination and wins at the Berlin International Film Festival, Gotham Awards and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards. “No Other Land” is, in its nature, a piece of advocacy. There are no both-sidesing explored here. The filmmakers — a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four directors — make it clear they hope documenting their plight will get the United States to pressure Israel to stop the destruction.
The documentary is largely told from the perspective of Basel Adra, an activist born in Masafer Yatta, a collection of villages in the southern mountains of the occupied West Bank. The Israelis have ordered Palestinians off the land to make room for a military training ground.
Shot between 2019 and 2023 — filming ended before the Israel-Hamas war exploded — the bulldozers arrive and never stop, protected by soldiers and ripping through simple concrete homes. The residents retreat to caves, albeit with high-def TV connections. Then they try to rebuild, often under the stealth of night. Then the bulldozers return.
“They destroy us slowly. Every week, a home,” goes the narration. “Every week a new family must decide: Endure, or leave their land.”
Adra and Palestinian co-writer and co-director Hamdan Ballal are joined by an Israeli journalist, Yuval Abraham, who arrives in Masafer Yatta with the cinematographer Rachel Szor. Abraham is asked point blank on his arrival: “What do you think about what your country is doing to us?” His answer: “I think it’s a crime.”
It is a wrenching movie
to see: Soldiers, with vague permission from a court that Palestinians
have no say in, push old women and children, not answering their pleas
to stop and merely waving away residents whose families have lived in
the region since the 1830s. The residents can’t vote and their license
plates set them apart from Israelis. They’re hoping enough likes on
social media can change their plight.... READ MORE https://apnews.com/article/no-other-land-documentary-review-c46bf4fa42f2fad4fecb16846b2c2684
[AS
ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO
READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP
SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and
conversations) THAT EMPOWER
DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE &
PEACE... and hopefully
Palestine]
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Muslim Artists Perform to Break Stereotypes
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| Comedy Documentary Showcases Muslim Diversity ....The Muslims are Coming! is available to buy or rent on iTunes. Visit themuslimsarecoming.com for more details |
***
[AS
ALWAYS
PLEASE GO TO THE LINK
TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN
FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and
conversations) THAT EMPOWER
DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE &
PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]
November 12, 2013
LOS ANGELES — For decades, Arab actors
have been successful in Hollywood. Among the most successful are Omar
Sharif, Tony Shalhoub, and F. Murray Abraham; the latter won an Academy
Award for his role in Mozart. However Muslims, openly
proclaiming their religion, are a minority in the U.S. population and an
even smaller minority in the U.S. entertainment industry. Those who are
breaking in are trying to use their talent to discredit negative
stereotypes. Several showcased their work at a recent gathering of
predominantly American Muslims in Los Angeles.
Dean Obeidallah is not just an American comedian.
“My ethnicity and my faith make me a little different than many other comedians,” said Obeidallah.
He is a Muslim with Palestinian roots, and says his identity has not created barriers for him. However, he also says that stereotypes of what he represents do exist in the U.S.
Obeidallah uses comedy to talk about misconceptions and about what it means to be Muslim. He has co-directed a comedy documentary on this theme called, The Muslims Are Coming! Obeidallah said he has received positive reviews from both Muslims and non-Muslims, but sometimes non-Muslims don’t know how to respond to his jokes.
“It can make audiences a little bit uncomfortable because they’re not sure what’s politically correct to laugh at and what’s politically incorrect to laugh at,” explained Obeidallah.
American Muslim poet Amir Sulaiman points out that some Muslims feel uncomfortable listening to him perform.
“Some people they feel nervous. Some things I say are not politically correct. They’re not fashioned and perfected in a political kind of way. Some people will say we don’t want you to say this; we don’t want you to say that as a Muslim person. When you are an artist or a public figure, many times you automatically become a spokesperson for millions of people. All these people have different points of view and different way that they want to be portrayed, but every artist can’t be responsible for everyone,” said Sulaiman.
Sulaiman also said that being a minority artist presents unique challenges.
“So I’m sure there are some walls, hurdles because I’m Muslim, black or because the types of things I talk about. But the most important thing is for me to be sincere and heartfelt and from that, it always works,” said Sulaiman.
Singing from her heart has worked well for Yuna, the first artist from Malaysia to break into the U.S. market. Abeer Khan is a fan, but she says not every Muslim will be able to accept a Muslim woman as a performer.
“I think it’s something so new it’s going to take time for people to fully understand it, maybe come to grasp with there are very talented Muslim women out there. She’s a trailblazer and that’s what we need,” said Khan.
Whether it’s through music, poetry or comedy, Dean Obeidallah feels it is important for Muslim artists and entertainers to appear in the U.S. media.
“I think after 9/11 we became aware as a community that we need to get involved in the media. We need to tell our story. I don’t want other people answering questions. In the United States, only one to two percent of the country is Muslim. We can’t reach the other 98% unless we go in mainstream media,” explained Obeidallah.
He also pointed out that with more visibility, Muslim artists and entertainers can showcase their identity and talents to the public to change anti-Islamic beliefs and stereotypes.
Dean Obeidallah is not just an American comedian.
“My ethnicity and my faith make me a little different than many other comedians,” said Obeidallah.
He is a Muslim with Palestinian roots, and says his identity has not created barriers for him. However, he also says that stereotypes of what he represents do exist in the U.S.
Obeidallah uses comedy to talk about misconceptions and about what it means to be Muslim. He has co-directed a comedy documentary on this theme called, The Muslims Are Coming! Obeidallah said he has received positive reviews from both Muslims and non-Muslims, but sometimes non-Muslims don’t know how to respond to his jokes.
“It can make audiences a little bit uncomfortable because they’re not sure what’s politically correct to laugh at and what’s politically incorrect to laugh at,” explained Obeidallah.
American Muslim poet Amir Sulaiman points out that some Muslims feel uncomfortable listening to him perform.
“Some people they feel nervous. Some things I say are not politically correct. They’re not fashioned and perfected in a political kind of way. Some people will say we don’t want you to say this; we don’t want you to say that as a Muslim person. When you are an artist or a public figure, many times you automatically become a spokesperson for millions of people. All these people have different points of view and different way that they want to be portrayed, but every artist can’t be responsible for everyone,” said Sulaiman.
Sulaiman also said that being a minority artist presents unique challenges.
“So I’m sure there are some walls, hurdles because I’m Muslim, black or because the types of things I talk about. But the most important thing is for me to be sincere and heartfelt and from that, it always works,” said Sulaiman.
Singing from her heart has worked well for Yuna, the first artist from Malaysia to break into the U.S. market. Abeer Khan is a fan, but she says not every Muslim will be able to accept a Muslim woman as a performer.
“I think it’s something so new it’s going to take time for people to fully understand it, maybe come to grasp with there are very talented Muslim women out there. She’s a trailblazer and that’s what we need,” said Khan.
Whether it’s through music, poetry or comedy, Dean Obeidallah feels it is important for Muslim artists and entertainers to appear in the U.S. media.
“I think after 9/11 we became aware as a community that we need to get involved in the media. We need to tell our story. I don’t want other people answering questions. In the United States, only one to two percent of the country is Muslim. We can’t reach the other 98% unless we go in mainstream media,” explained Obeidallah.
He also pointed out that with more visibility, Muslim artists and entertainers can showcase their identity and talents to the public to change anti-Islamic beliefs and stereotypes.
***
Theme song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il3wk1tpt00
Dean Obeidallah
If you know any Oscar voters (Im serious) please let them know about The Muslims Are Coming - we are one of 150 films that qualified for the Best Documentary Academy Award this year. Voting is open through Nov 22. Here's our Oscar ad running next week in The Hollywood Reporter. Thanks!
If you know any Oscar voters (Im serious) please let them know about The Muslims Are Coming - we are one of 150 films that qualified for the Best Documentary Academy Award this year. Voting is open through Nov 22. Here's our Oscar ad running next week in The Hollywood Reporter. Thanks!
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