Amid the bombs and bloodshed of the latest Gaza war, a groundbreaking documentary is shining a light on the often overlooked struggles and oppression in another part of the occupied Palestinian territories – the West Bank. “No Other Land,” directed by Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, provides an unflinching look at the land confiscation, settler violence, and systematic “dehumanization” that Palestinians face daily in the embattled villages of the South Hebron hills.
The film has already garnered major accolades, winning two awards at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival. But the rising tensions back home nearly derailed the directors’ recent US promotional tour and forced them to rush back to Israel and the West Bank to be with their families as the Gaza conflict threatened to ignite an all-out regional war.
Documenting the Invisible Violence
For Adra and Abraham, who grew up on opposite sides of the conflict but forged an unlikely friendship, “No Other Land” is a labor of love years in the making. By capturing the routine harassment, land grabs, and attacks that Palestinians in the South Hebron hills endure, they aim to make visible the oppression that often goes unseen by the outside world.
“This is what the occupation is composed of, like every single day, hundreds of moments of violence that are largely invisible to many people in the western world,” Abraham explained. “One of the advantages of making a film and documenting five years … is that I hope we are able to capture some of these invisible structural violence.”
– Co-director Yuval Abraham
In one shocking scene, Adra’s own cousin Zakriha is shot in the stomach by a settler in an unprovoked attack, all while an Israeli soldier looks on. It’s just one example of the uptick in settler violence that residents say has surged since the latest Gaza war began, as the Israeli military is preoccupied and settlers feel they can act with even greater impunity.
An Impossible Friendship
At the heart of “No Other Land” is the improbable bond between Adra and Abraham. Their conversations, filled with affection but also inevitable friction, form the spine of the film. As a Palestinian, Adra’s daily reality is one of checkpoints, blocked roads, and constant uncertainty under military occupation. Abraham, as an Israeli, has the privilege of moving freely in and out of that oppressive world.
In today’s polarized climate, their type of cross-cultural connection has become vanishingly rare. By making the film together, Abraham has faced death threats and accusations of being a “traitor” from the Israeli far-right. But both men feel a responsibility to bear witness, even at great personal risk.
“You leave your family and you leave your work and you leave everything, and you don’t know what will happen back home,” Abraham said of the wrenching decision to return to the US to promote the film as war rages.
– Co-director Yuval Abraham
Fading Hopes for Change
For Adra, the grim reality is that Palestinians have been “left without any power, without any rights.” With the Israeli left all but vanished and the far-right ascendant under Prime Minister Netanyahu, the prospects for peace have rarely seemed more distant.
The filmmakers’ hopes now rest on shifting international opinion, especially in the US, which continues to supply Israel with billions in military aid and diplomatic cover despite the mounting Palestinian death toll. But challenging the pro-Israel orthodoxy in Washington remains an uphill battle.
“The people in the street in the UK, and the US and France should know what their governments are supporting,” Adra implored.
– Co-director Basel Adra
That mission to educate and galvanize global audiences is what drives “No Other Land,” even as the conflict it depicts spirals further out of control. For Adra, Abraham, and all those living under occupation who shared their stories, the film is a testament to their oppression – and their resistance. The question is whether the world will finally listen.
