The documentary No Other Land won the award for Best Documentary at the 2025 Academy Awards ceremony, held on March 2nd in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Beyond the artistic merits of the Palestinian-Norwegian co-production, the win holds significant political and social importance.
Directed by Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, and Rachel Szor, the documentary reveals the reality of Masafer Yatta, a town in the southern West Bank near Hebron. This community has been under constant siege by Israeli occupation forces for decades.
Filming began in 2019 and concluded before the events of October 7th, 2023. The testimonies collected emphasize that the current horrific events unfolding in Palestine are rooted in a long history. As such, any potential solutions must address the historical causes that have led to the present crisis.
The film’s title itself reflects the shared desire of both Palestinians and Israelis to live on this land. This sentiment starkly contrasts with the dystopian vision recently proposed by the current U.S. president—a future Gaza without its ancestral inhabitants but with modern buildings and facilities resembling the most exclusive Mediterranean private clubs.
Yuval Abraham, the Israeli filmmaker, formed a friendship with Palestinian co-director Basel Adra. Both accepted the award, delivering a brief but powerful speech that has resonated worldwide.
Abraham urged the need for a political solution “…without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both peoples.” He also criticized U.S. foreign policy, stating, “…this country’s foreign policy is helping to block that path. Why can’t they see that we are intertwined? My people will only be truly safe if Basel’s people also live free and secure. It is not too late.”
The recognition of No Other Land as Best Documentary reflects a growing shift in public sentiment across the United States. Increasingly, people are embracing a narrative about the Middle East that acknowledges perspectives and truths long overlooked or denied.
The origin of the term “Oscar” for the Academy Award remains unclear, though it is believed to derive from a Germanic word meaning “spear of the gods.”
Throughout the history of the Oscars, there have been few moments of profound political and social impact—but those that have occurred remain memorable. Some of these moments connect directly to the present and to the original symbolism of the statuette’s name.
One such instance occurred in 1973 when Marlon Brando famously refused to accept the award for Best Actor for his iconic performance in The Godfather, considered one of the greatest films of all time.
When Roger Moore announced Brando’s win, Sacheen Littlefeather—a young activist and president of the National Native American Affirmative Image Committee—took the stage in his place. She explained Brando’s refusal, citing two main reasons: the mistreatment of Native Americans by the film industry and the ongoing crisis at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. At Wounded Knee, a protest on ancestral lands had escalated into a violent confrontation, resulting in the eviction and death of indigenous people.
On February 18, 2025, Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist, was granted home confinement after spending fifty years imprisoned in Florida. His incarceration stemmed from a highly contested judicial process connected to the events at Wounded Knee and the Pine Ridge Reservation.
The same issues that prompted Brando to reject his Oscar remain deeply relevant today. By preserving historical memory and connecting the dots, we can better understand how the struggles of the past continue to shape our present.