No Other Land Wins an Oscar, But Can the Truth Win Against Western Narratives?”

Written by: Tazeen Hasan 

Exactly one year earlier, at the beginning of March, when I was writing about the controversy surrounding the screening of No Other Land at the Berlin Film Festival, I could not have imagined that this documentary would go on to win an Oscar. Back then, the backlash was intense—pro-Israel groups were furious, and accusations of bias were flying. But through it all, the filmmakers stood their ground, refusing to be silenced. And now, against all odds, they stood on the grandest stage in the cinema, holding the golden statue in their hands.

Watching Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham take the stage at the Academy Awards felt surreal. Their film, which captures the brutal reality of Israel’s forced expulsions in Masafer Yatta, was not just another documentary—it was a witness to history, a defiant act of truth-telling in a world that often looks away.

For years, Israel and its supporters in the West have spent millions to convince the world that Israel is a democracy—indeed, the only democracy in the Middle East. But a short, powerful speech on one of the world’s biggest stages shattered that illusion in a way no policy paper or human rights report ever could.

The documentary tells the story of the continued demolition of Masafer Yatta, a collection of Palestinian villages in the Hebron mountains of the West Bank, where Basel Adra and his family live. The Israeli government has tried to expel the villagers by force since 1981, having claimed the land for a military training facility and firing range. The film documents how soldiers, settlers, and the state have made life unbearable—tearing down homes, demolishing a local playground, and allowing violent attacks by Jewish settlers. It also shows the killing of Adra’s brother by Israeli soldiers.

During their acceptance speech, the filmmakers used their moment on stage to shine a spotlight on the ongoing destruction in Gaza and the occupied West Bank—and to call out the U.S. government’s role in blocking peace. Their words were met with applause from the Oscar audience, but outrage from Israeli officials.

Standing beside his co-director, Abraham delivered a powerful truth:

“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.”

Then came the line that cut through the propaganda:

“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 and Basel is under military law that destroys his life and he cannot control.”

In a single breath, Abraham exposed the deep contradiction at the heart of Israel’s claim to democracy. How can a state claim to be democratic while ruling over millions under military occupation? When one group enjoys full rights, while another faces land confiscations, home demolitions, and an entire legal system designed to control them?

Predictably, the Israeli government was furious at the win. Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar called the film “sabotage against the State of Israel” and the award “a sad moment for the world of cinema.” He even reminded the public that Israel had passed a law banning government funding for films critical of the state.
Despite its broad acclaim, No Other Land is struggling to find a distributor in North America—an all-too-common fate for films that challenge dominant political narratives. But its impact is undeniable.

Despite the powerful moment on stage, much of the Western and American media is already working to undermine the impact of Yuval Abraham’s speech. While they cannot ignore the Oscar win itself, they are carefully downplaying his words, reducing his critique of Israel’s apartheid system to vague calls for “peace” or framing his speech as merely a plea for coexistence. 

Major global news outlets, which claim to champion free speech and human rights, have long censored Palestinian voices—but now, faced with a moment they cannot erase, they are twisting the narrative to fit their comfort zone. The same media that amplifies Israel’s talking points without question suddenly finds itself reluctant to report an Israeli filmmaker’s blunt admission that he and his Palestinian co-director are not equal under the same regime. The hypocrisy is glaring, and it exposes the deep bias in how mainstream journalism chooses to frame stories of occupation, oppression, and resistance.

Basel Adra, speaking from the West Bank, made a plea to the world:

“The film reflects the harsh reality that we have been suffering for decades, a reality that continues until today, and we call on the world to take concrete steps to end this injustice.”

The Oscar win for No Other Land will not stop the bulldozers in Masafer Yatta or bring back the lives lost in Gaza. But it marks a shift. It punctures the narrative that Israel has worked so hard to craft.

And at this moment, I can’t help but feel a rush of joy and hope. No Other Land is more than just a film—it’s a victory for truth, for resistance, for the voices that refuse to be erased. Watching the filmmakers lift their Oscar, I felt a sense of triumph, as if for a brief, shining moment, justice had prevailed on that grand Hollywood stage.

The world heard the truth last night. And no matter how much those in power try to silence it, that truth will never be unseen, never be unheard. The voices of Masafer Yatta, of Gaza, of all those struggling against oppression, have been amplified in a way we never imagined.

For now, we celebrate. And tomorrow, we continue the fight.