This rage- and pain-filled documentary from a quartet of Palestinian and Israeli film-makers was the subject of a somewhat surreal statement from the German culture minister Claudia Roth at this year's Berlin film festival. She had been in the closing gala audience applauding when it won a prize, and later said she was clapping Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, not his Palestinian co-director Basel Adra, when they collected the award. It was an unhappy demonstration of enduring division.

Uncovering the Harsh Realities of Occupation and Displacement in the West Bank

Masafer Yatta: A Community on the Brink

No Other Land delves into the plight of the Palestinian residents of Masafer Yatta, a collection of villages in the West Bank. In 2022, the Israeli military ordered these communities, home to over a thousand people, to vacate the area, claiming it was needed for military training purposes. The film documents the ensuing long and bitter process, as bulldozers moved in, accompanied by soldiers who remained unmoved by the desperate protests of the residents.The film's co-director, Basel Adra, had been recording the community's harassment for years, providing a firsthand account of the ongoing struggle. Adra's collaboration with Israeli photojournalist Yuval Abraham, along with Hamdan Balla and Rachel Szor, offers a unique perspective on the conflict, blending the experiences of both Palestinian and Israeli perspectives.

Witnessing the Devastating Consequences of Occupation

The documentary captures the raw anguish of the community, particularly when a local man is shot by soldiers and left paralyzed from the chest down. The film follows the man and his devastated elderly mother as they mutely receive a stream of international journalists, whose well-meaning reports achieve little in the face of the ongoing crisis.Adra himself recounts a glimmer of hope when former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, as special envoy of the Middle East Quartet, visited Masafer Yatta in 2009. The archive footage shows Blair's face set in a "semi-grimace of sympathy," and his visit did appear to help, if only temporarily.

Navigating the Complexities of Collaboration and Friendship

The film also explores the increasingly tense presence of Yuval Abraham within the Masafer Yatta community. Many residents find it difficult to accept his loyalties, with one resident asking, "It could be your brother or your friend who destroyed my home!" The film, however, does not delve into the perspectives of Abraham's own family or friends.The documentary concludes with a bittersweet dialogue between Adra and Abraham, whose friendship has been deepened by the experience of creating the film. Yet, both men are acutely aware of how little has truly changed, despite their collaborative efforts.No Other Land stands as a sombre and sobering work, a powerful testament to the ongoing struggle of the Palestinian people and the enduring divisions that continue to shape the region. The film's raw emotion and unflinching portrayal of the realities on the ground serve as a call to action, urging the international community to confront the harsh realities of occupation and displacement in the West Bank.