The Oscar win for No Other Land brought global applause but nearly a year later, the reality in Masafer Yatta is harsher than ever. The documentary follows Palestinians trying to defend their homes from settler violence in the occupied West Bank and now its co-director Ballal and his family are Chronicling that violence again firsthand.
Rather than bringing protection, the global recognition appears to have triggered intensified retaliation, now aimed largely at his family and community.
Retaliation Targets Ballal’s Family
The latest attack took place on Sunday in Ballal’s hometown of Susya, when Israeli settlers entered the area despite an Israeli court ruling declaring the land around his home closed to non-residents.
“The ruling was supposed to make things better for us, but the opposite happened,” Ballal said.
“Israeli authorities did nothing to enforce the decision, but joined the settlers in the attack.”
According to Ballal, family members who contacted the army to enforce the ruling say soldiers instead sided with the settlers. One of his brothers was placed in a chokehold by an army officer and later hospitalized, while four other relatives were detained for several hours before being released.
In a post on X, Ballal said the settlers were led by the same individual who had attacked him near his home following the Oscars ceremony.
A Previous Attack After the Oscars
The incident in Susya was not Ballal’s first encounter with settler violence. In March, just weeks after No Other Land won the Oscar for best documentary, Ballal was attacked near his home by Israeli settlers.
He was assaulted and then removed from an ambulance by Israeli soldiers, zip-tied and blindfolded before being held for roughly 24 hours at an Israeli army base. He was released the following day with injuries to his head and stomach. The incident drew widespread international condemnation.
Ballal later said the assault marked a turning point, after which pressure shifted away from him publicly and toward his family and community.
Why Pressure Shifted to Family
Ballal says the pattern is deliberate, pressure his family, not him, to avoid media scrutiny.
His relatives have been blocked from grazing sheep, ploughing land, and accessing their homes. Some have been arrested or interrogated about his work and whereabouts.
A Broader Pattern of Revenge for No Other Land
Others connected to No Other Land have faced similar consequences. Palestinian journalist Basel Adra, the film’s central figure, saw his home raided last September after clashes with settlers in his olive grove.
In July, activist and film consultant Awdah Hathaleen was shot dead in Umm al-Khair by an Israeli settler.
Recognition Without Protection
Ballal reflected on the dissonance between global praise and local brutality in an earlier interview.
“Three weeks earlier, on the Oscar stage, I had a taste of power and possibility…
Our movie won an Oscar, but our lives are no better than before.”
If anything, it has only gotten worse, according to his last statement.
Conclusion: Recognition Without Protection
No Other Land exposed a reality the world briefly applauded and then largely moved on from. For Ballal, his family, and others in Masafer Yatta, the cost of telling that story continues to mount.
The award remains. The violence does too.
Recognition or Normalization? The Controversy Behind No Other Land’s Oscar Win
