• Hamdan Ballal, co-director of Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," was brutally attacked by Israeli settlers and soldiers.
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences faced criticism for not supporting Ballal amid his distressing experience.
• Ballal's film sheds light on Israeli settler violence and the plight of Palestinians in the West Bank.

Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director behind the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, is grappling with the aftermath of a violent attack he sustained at the hands of Israeli settlers and soldiers in the occupied West Bank. Ballal described a harrowing experience where he feared for his life during an incident in Susiya, where he was assaulted after trying to document violence against neighbors during Ramadan. “The soldiers kept on shouting at me, threatening me,” he recounted, adding that they beat him while aiming their guns at him, leaving him wondering if he would survive according to Al Jazeera.

Following the attack, which occurred just weeks after Ballal’s film won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, there has been a notable silence from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences regarding the violence Ballal faced. Yuval Abraham, a co-director of No Other Land, criticized the Academy for failing to publicly support Ballal during this critical time. “They declined to support Hamdan Ballal while he was beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers and settlers,” Abraham remarked on social media, emphasizing that the Academy's inaction seemed to reflect biases against Palestinian voices and struggles reported the Los Angeles Times.

Since the start of the ongoing conflict, particularly after increased tensions escalated on October 7, 2023, the situation for Palestinians in the West Bank has deteriorated. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, there have been at least 884 fatalities linked to Israeli military action in the region. Under these circumstances, critics argue that the silence from influential institutions like the Academy contributes to the normalization of violence against Palestinians. Several film groups and individual critics within the industry have publicly expressed their solidarity with Ballal, contrasting the Academy’s muted response as noted by HuffPost.

Ballal’s documentary, co-directed with Israeli journalist Rachel Szor and Palestinian activist Basel Adra, addresses the violence against Palestinians and highlights the challenges faced by communities like those in Masafer Yatta, where Israeli settler violence is prevalent. The film was celebrated at the Oscars, but its political implications have made its creators targets for aggression. Ballal, who suffered physical injuries during the assault, revealed that he heard soldiers “joking about the Oscar” during his detention and was subjected to humiliating treatment according to the LATimes.

While the Academy has not responded to requests for comment, many in the film industry and beyond await to see if it will take a public stance against the violence faced by filmmakers advocating for Palestinian rights. Hamdan Ballal's plight serves as a potent reminder of the need for solidarity and support within the global arts community, particularly in times of distress when voices advocating for justice are imperiled.