My Oscar-winning film exposed violent Israeli settlers. Now they’re the soldiers

My Oscar-winning film exposed violent Israeli settlers. Now they’re the soldiers

Author: The Times May 13, 2025 Duration: 26:15

In March this year, a team of Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers accepted the Oscar for best documentary. Their film No Other Land is a glimpse into the reality of life in the West Bank, the most populous of the Palestinian Territories. Before the month was out, though, one of the people on that stage - co-director Hamdan Ballal - would return home to the West Bank and be attacked and detained by Israeli settlers and soldiers. Times reporter Venetia Menzies went to meet Hamdan and his co-director and star of the documentary, Basel Adra, to find out what life is like now for Palestinians in the West Bank. 


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Guest: Venetia Menzies, ​​assistant data editor at The Times and The Sunday Times

Host: Luke Jones 

Producer: Hannah Varrall

Further reading: https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/palestinian-film-director-oscar-israeli-settlers-q62756r9v 

Clips: Oscars, No Other Land, CBS Chicago, France 24 English, Hollywood Reporter.

Photo: Basel Adra (Venetia Menzies)

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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