NO OTHER LAND documentary review

Made a few years prior to the tragic events of October 7, 2023, the documentary “No Other Land” by journalists/filmmakers Yuval Abraham, Basel Agra and Hamden Ball helps to lay some current day groundwork for political and social issues in Palestine. This is an Israeli-Palestinian collective project that highlights the the destruction of the occupied West Bank's Masafer Yatta by Israeli soldiers in the region, while showing the existence and importance of allyship. I first experienced this documentary at its U.S. premier at the New York Film Festival 2024, and it has stayed with me since.

To be sure, this is not an easy film to watch, but it is compelling, crucial, informative, and should be watched regardless of personal politics. Agra’s family is one of many in the region that are poor, mostly sheep farmers that live in shack-like housing and to whom poverty and no claim to a homeland is the norm. Also normal are daily invasions and devastations at the hands of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Taking their directives from Israel’s political leadership, the IDF are shown to have gone into the West Bank, demolishing house and schools; killing livestock in attempts to drive the countryside inhabitants into the city. It is occupation at its worst. Instead of moving out, the unarmed families often resisted and created makeshift homes from caves.

In one scene, Agra’s uncle who is an activist, yells at the soldiers as they are taking away the family’s generator, their only source for electricity in the cave. In his attempts to retrieve the generator, a soldier shoots him. As a result, he is paralyzed and within a few months of not being able to receive medical treatment, he dies. This is just one of many heart wrenching eye witness accounts. Probably just as alarming is the Palestinians’ capacity for love, forgiveness and humor through such atrocities. I sat in the theater unable to hold back tears, as much from the victimization of the Palestinians as from their unfathomable capacity to display love and maintain hope. How many times in my capitalist, Western mentality have I whined over the seemingly simplest issues. Yet Palestinians, most of which have no association with Hamas or any act of terrorism, manage to cling to loved ones and hope in the face of displacement, racism and marginalization.

Abraham, a journalist from the other side of the border, has turned his ally-ship for his neighbors and friendship with Agra into a cry for help and an uncovering of the truth. He regularly traverses the border to assess and film the situation and check up on his friend and Agra’s community. One time after staying there for a week or so, he informs his companion that he must return to spend time with his mother. Agra sympathizes but does so with an air of heaviness. When Abraham inquires as to his friend’s sadness and reminds him that he will be returning, Agra explains that he understands, but that he too would like to be able to move freely and travel at will. Abraham tries to console his friend. “It will be so nice one day with stability. You can come visit me instead of me always visiting you.”

Early on in the film, Agra matter of factly proclaims the this is a situation and story of power, implying who has it and who wields it for good or evil. I would add to that, it is also a story of resistance and resilience. Although “No Other Land” got selected for one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals (NYFF), that did not guarantee it distribution. In fact, it has since gone on to garner the Academy Award for Best Documentary feature (2025), but still has no distributor. Instead, the filmmakers have pointed out the obvious prejudice against the film’s messaging to the extent that no distributors will touch it for fear of appearing to be antisemitic. Despite that, the film’s quality and important messaging has prevailed, gaining an audience through self-distribution and word-of-mouth promotion. As such, you are urged to seek “No Other Land” out at an art house screening or online streaming. It is a film that will not only move you, but change you. #FreePalestine