No Other Land (2024)
While cinema has largely been a space for wonderful and fantastical works of fiction that can convey deep truths regarding the human condition and spirit, the world of documentary filmmaking can provide something equally if not even more worthy: reality. While a creative force can write complex characters and situations that strike deep with a backbone of truth, there is often nothing quite as moving and shocking as when a camera is able to pick up the authentic ebbs and flows of the real world and display society at its most honest and raw form. The perspectives that can be found through the genre carry a weight unlike any other, these are real stories that embrace the real complexity of real life. Screening as part of the 2024 AFI Film Festival, No Other Land is a prime example of this power. Made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of filmmakers and activists, No Other Land shows the forced and brutal displacement of families in the West Bank's Masafer Yatta area at the hands of Israel's military.
Without warning or empathy, military forces systematically bulldoze down homes, schools, and communities leaving families with nowhere to go and nothing to rebuild with, often sending families into nearby caves to attempt to find some form of short-term stability and normalcy. Rather than a fictional account of these events which creates fictionalized characters and portrayals of these events, No Other Land displays this violence on a purely real and grounded level. The footage is captured from the phones and basic cameras on the scene, it is in the moment and raw. The pain and suffering are similarly displayed. The raw emotions of a family grieving the loss of the life they have built for generations or mourning the loss of a loved one who was killed is not something that can truly be faked or crafted. Seeing a mother sitting, trying to find a path forward for her family with no direction or support, while also dealing with the emotional trauma she has just expressed is an image that carries so much weight and power that it is almost indescribable.
In a world so polarized where basic human empathy is often overlooked, it is crucial for films like No Other Land to exist and be seen. In a time of social media and misinformation, human life has been stripped of its value and turned into almost a concept more than a reality. One can speak to the horrors happening to Palestine and the pain being forcibly pressed onto them, but this can be brushed off and ignored far easier than actually seeing this suffering. While it is true that No Other Land is focused on a hyper-specific piece of this larger situation, it is a great start for humanizing the discussion and refocusing the conversation with the truth that it is real people being affected and hurt. For one to continue to hope and fight for the future of humanity, one has to hope that these raw images would be enough to draw out basic human empathy and create a fight for change.
This spirit of fight is something that is infectiously sprinkled throughout the film. While naturally an incredibly haunting and tragic project, No Other Land expands beyond the pain of its subject to find a greater voice within the motivation of activists and those trying to make a change. Specifically, the film focuses on the work of activist Basel Adra who uses social media to share what is happening and call for action. Rather than immediately gaining global attention and changing the world, Adra faces frustration at the slow traction and exposes a more realistic view of the trials that can face journalists no matter how important. Still, Adra pushes on. As more eyes go to his work, a conversation surrounding the potential of using social media to inspire social awareness blossoms. These are examples of the complex angles and directions that can naturally be exposed through documentary filmmaking.
To put it bluntly, No Other Land is essential viewing. Showing humanity and crisis at its authentic core is the most powerful way to build empathy and understanding with No Other Land being a worthy road to these outcomes. The film is tragic, brutal, and haunting, but so are the events taking place. Before a conversation can truly be had on a global level regarding how one can fix these issues, the actual actions and consequences of the issues need to be understood and accepted. It is almost criminal that no U.S. distributor has signed on the share a film of such power, showing a disappointing amount of cowardliness and complacency within the current film landscape that reflects a larger chosen ignorance within society.
Without warning or empathy, military forces systematically bulldoze down homes, schools, and communities leaving families with nowhere to go and nothing to rebuild with, often sending families into nearby caves to attempt to find some form of short-term stability and normalcy. Rather than a fictional account of these events which creates fictionalized characters and portrayals of these events, No Other Land displays this violence on a purely real and grounded level. The footage is captured from the phones and basic cameras on the scene, it is in the moment and raw. The pain and suffering are similarly displayed. The raw emotions of a family grieving the loss of the life they have built for generations or mourning the loss of a loved one who was killed is not something that can truly be faked or crafted. Seeing a mother sitting, trying to find a path forward for her family with no direction or support, while also dealing with the emotional trauma she has just expressed is an image that carries so much weight and power that it is almost indescribable.
In a world so polarized where basic human empathy is often overlooked, it is crucial for films like No Other Land to exist and be seen. In a time of social media and misinformation, human life has been stripped of its value and turned into almost a concept more than a reality. One can speak to the horrors happening to Palestine and the pain being forcibly pressed onto them, but this can be brushed off and ignored far easier than actually seeing this suffering. While it is true that No Other Land is focused on a hyper-specific piece of this larger situation, it is a great start for humanizing the discussion and refocusing the conversation with the truth that it is real people being affected and hurt. For one to continue to hope and fight for the future of humanity, one has to hope that these raw images would be enough to draw out basic human empathy and create a fight for change.
This spirit of fight is something that is infectiously sprinkled throughout the film. While naturally an incredibly haunting and tragic project, No Other Land expands beyond the pain of its subject to find a greater voice within the motivation of activists and those trying to make a change. Specifically, the film focuses on the work of activist Basel Adra who uses social media to share what is happening and call for action. Rather than immediately gaining global attention and changing the world, Adra faces frustration at the slow traction and exposes a more realistic view of the trials that can face journalists no matter how important. Still, Adra pushes on. As more eyes go to his work, a conversation surrounding the potential of using social media to inspire social awareness blossoms. These are examples of the complex angles and directions that can naturally be exposed through documentary filmmaking.
To put it bluntly, No Other Land is essential viewing. Showing humanity and crisis at its authentic core is the most powerful way to build empathy and understanding with No Other Land being a worthy road to these outcomes. The film is tragic, brutal, and haunting, but so are the events taking place. Before a conversation can truly be had on a global level regarding how one can fix these issues, the actual actions and consequences of the issues need to be understood and accepted. It is almost criminal that no U.S. distributor has signed on the share a film of such power, showing a disappointing amount of cowardliness and complacency within the current film landscape that reflects a larger chosen ignorance within society.