EXCLUSIVE: Hamdan Ballal and his co-directors of No Other Land are expressing their gratitude to prominent members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for sending a letter that urged AMPAS leadership to take a stronger position against an assault on Ballal done by Israeli settlers.
Palestinian filmmakers Ballal and Basel Adra, alongside Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, distributed a note today to all who signed Friday’s letter. The note expresses their appreciation saying, “Dear friends, we wanted to inform you that Hamdan’s health has improved recently and he is now home with his children. Your supportive letter has been incredibly touching and politically significant to us, especially amid the ongoing assaults on the Masafer Yatta community. It was reassuring to read your letter during a time when we felt overlooked by the Academy.”
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Almost 900 Academy members signed the letter sent to Academy President Janet Yang and CEO Bill Kramer, which criticized their initial response concerning the incident where Israeli settlers allegedly assaulted Ballal outside his residence in the rural Masafer Yatta region of the occupied West Bank. Following the attack, Israeli authorities detained the filmmaker, reportedly beat him while in custody, and mocked him for winning an Oscar. Although Yang and Kramer’s initial statement condemned “attacks against artists for their works or opinions,” it did not mention Ballal or No Other Land, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature on March 2.
This letter was seen as insufficient by some critics within the Academy, leading to an emergency meeting of the AMPAS Board of Governors on Friday. Following this meeting, as reported by Deadline, Yang and Kramer released a statement of apology acknowledging, “On Wednesday, we sent a letter addressing reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, the co-director of No Other Land, linked to his artistic expression. We regret that we did not specifically acknowledge Mr. Ballal or the film in our communication.”
The directors of No Other Land expressed their gratitude to the signatories—among them are Ben Affleck, J.J. Abrams, Ava DuVernay, Denis Villeneuve, Edward Norton, Riz Ahmed, Penélope Cruz, and Joaquin Phoenix, along with three governors from the documentary branch—Simon Kilmurry, Jean Tsien, and Chris Hegedus. They wrote: “You stood against dehumanization and the idea that Palestinian lives hold lesser value; for that, we are thankful. The journey ahead may be challenging, but your support reassures us that we are not alone.”
Over the weekend, No Other Land surpassed $2 million in domestic box office earnings in the U.S. and Canada. The film is being self-distributed by Cinetic after receiving limited distribution offers for North America and has reached a global total of $2.8 million.
Here is the complete letter:
Dear friends, We wanted to briefly share with you that Hamdan’s physical condition has improved over the past few days and he is at home with his children. The letter you wrote in support of him has been deeply moving for us personally, and also important politically, especially as the attacks on the Masafer Yatta community continue every day. At a time when we felt ignored by the Academy, it meant a lot to read your letter and know we are not alone. You fought back against dehumanization, against the notion that Palestinian lives are worth less, and for that we are grateful. We know the path ahead won’t be easy, but your solidarity was a reminder that we are not walking this path alone.
With respect, Hamdan Ballal, Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, and Yuval Abraham
