The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences faced backlash for not supporting Palestinian Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, who was assaulted following his award-winning documentary 'No Other Land'. Nearly 700 members signed a letter expressing regret over the Academy's initial silence about Ballal's situation. His documentary highlights the struggles of Palestinians against demolitions in the West Bank, yet the Academy avoided direct acknowledgment of his plight, raising concerns about their commitment to artists from marginalized communities, particularly in politically charged contexts.
On Wednesday, the No Other Land co-director Yuval Abraham claimed on X that the Academy, which organises the Oscars, sadly, declined to publicly support Hamdan Ballal while he was beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers and settlers.
Hamdan Ballal, whose documentary chronicles the struggle by Palestinians of the West Bank to stop the army from demolishing their villages, was then moved to a military base and held in custody for one night before being released the following day.
The open letter signed by actors, producers and documentary filmmakers criticised the initial statement, asserting that the Academy's response neglected to acknowledge the significant context surrounding Ballal's mistreatment.
In other words, Abraham added, while Hamdan was clearly targeted for making No Other Land, he was also targeted for being Palestinian - like countless others every day who are disregarded.
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