A well-known Palestinian advocacy organization has strongly condemned the Academy Award-winning documentary No Other Land, claiming that it breaches the principles of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. This movement advocates against collaborating with Israeli businesses active in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Academic and Cultural Boycott Initiative (PACBI), in line with BDS, has criticized the production No Other Land, claiming it breaches the “anti-normalization” rules. These guidelines, according to PACBI, make the depiction of Israeli practices like occupation, apartheid, and settler colonialism as ordinary and fostering normal relations with Israel’s government appear acceptable.
The Palestinian Academic and Cultural Boycott Initiative (PACBI) has accused the production No Other Land of breaking “anti-normalization” guidelines, which PACBI argues, make Israeli practices such as occupation, apartheid, and settler colonialism seem ordinary and promote normal relations with Israel’s government.)
One might find it surprising that the film, titled “No Other Land”, would be a focal point for pro-Palestinian activists. This documentary depicts the recurring demolition and destruction of the Masafer Yatta community in the occupied West Bank. The movie also highlights the partnership formed between Palestinian journalist and co-director Basel Adra, and Israeli journalist and co-director Yuval Abraham. Since its premiere at the Berlinale last year, where it received the best documentary award, the film has faced criticism from conservative and pro-Israeli groups. Israel’s Minister of Culture and Sports, Miki Zohar, described the Oscar win as a “disappointing moment for the cinema world,” alleging that the documentary tarnishes Israel’s image.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group in the USA, has expressed its backing for the movie “No Other Land,” urging U.S. film distributors and streaming services to bring the movie to American audiences. Notably, despite winning an Oscar, the movie has yet to secure a U.S. distributor. CAIR emphasized that Americans should have the chance to watch this film.
In their initial release about the film on March 5, PACBI acknowledges that “Israel, powerful lobby groups, and racist anti-Palestinian allies in Western cultural circles,” have targeted the movie “No Other Land” because they perceive it as revealing a significant, albeit partial, aspect of Israel’s system of colonial oppression, including its actions such as the forced displacement of Masafer Yatta.
However, the collective maintains that the movie breaches BDS guidelines due to its association with Israeli documentary film organization Close-Up, which aided the filmmakers during production but did not financially back the project. PACBI argues that Close-Up is complicit in normalization by encouraging interactions with Israel as if it were a regular country. In 2019, over 500 filmmakers, primarily from the Arab world, endorsed a boycott of Close-Up, among them Palestinian director Mohamed Bakri (Jenin, Jenin), Egyptian director Ali Badrakhan (Karnak Cafe), and Lebanese documentarian Eliane Raheb (Miguel’s War)).
PACBI has pointed out that there’s been ongoing debate about the film “No Other Land” within the Arab community, especially since it won an Oscar and the co-director Abraham delivered a speech criticizing the devastation inflicted upon Gaza and its people during the October 7th attacks on Israel, as well as denouncing the violent actions taken during that time.
PACBI has also criticized certain members of No Other Land in Israel for not admitting that Israel is committing acts of genocide, or for making highly problematic statements that falsely equate the roles of colonizer and colonized. Such statements could potentially be used to justify Israel’s actions.
PACBI has chosen not to initiate a boycott of the movie, explaining that such action might backfire. Instead, they believe the film could generate understanding and awareness in broader audiences about the fight against Israel’s military occupation and the issue of ethnic cleansing.
On their website on Monday, PACBI (Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel) stated that before the Oscars, criticizing the film “No Other Land” could have done more harm than good for the Palestinian cause. However, after the film won an Oscar, PACBI expressed concern about the potential normalization of Israel in relation to the movie, especially within the Arab region. They explain this stance by saying that their original position was formulated and published in Arabic specifically for an Arab audience because of these concerns.
In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, a representative from PACBI explained that the BDS movement’s anti-normalization rules are aimed at institutions rather than individuals, and they focus on actions of complicity instead of personal identities. This means the criticism leveled against the film “No Other Land” is not personally directed at the filmmakers, but rather it questions the movie’s connections to Close-Up.
(Note: PACBI stands for Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel)
I’ve reached out for comments from both the Close-up and No Other Land filmmakers, but have yet to get a reply back from them.
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2025-03-10 23:24