"When "No Other Land" won the Oscar for best documentary this year, the victory should have ensured worldwide release. Instead, the film about the forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank failed to secure a US distributor. The filmmakers, a collective of Israeli and Palestinian activists, eventually self-released. The US screenings faced protests and political pushback, but the movie played to sold-out houses and earned more than $2 million at the box office."
"Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania has run into similar barriers with "The Voice of Hind Rajab," a dramatization of the true story of a five-year-old girl killed in Gaza by Israeli forces and the desperate attempt by Red Crescent emergency workers to save her. The film drew a 24-minute standing ovation in Venice and won the festival's Silver Lion. It also has celebrity backing, with Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix signing on as executive producers to promote the movie."
A Washington peace plan announcement coincides with heightened distribution challenges for regional filmmakers trying to reach international audiences. Palestinian and Israeli directors face rare barriers to wider release despite top festival prizes and Oscars. Distributors in polarized countries such as the US and Germany frequently avoid Gaza-related films. When "No Other Land" won best documentary, it lacked a US distributor and was self-released; screenings met protests yet sold out and earned over $2 million. Kaouther Ben Hania's "The Voice of Hind Rajab" received a long Venice ovation and a Silver Lion, and has celebrity executive producers, yet still encounters release obstacles.
Read at www.dw.com
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