Last weekend, the Academy Award for Best Documentary went to a film that still lacks a U.S. distribution deal. 'No Other Land' is a powerful look at Palestine's southern West Bank, and has received widespread acclaim. So what's holding it back from being seen in theaters across America?Brittany is joined by B.A. Parker, co-host of NPR's Code Switch, and professor and television producer Dr. Maytha Alhassen. Together they look at why one of the most critically-praised movies of the year seems to be experiencing a kind of soft censorship. Plus, in honor of Lady Gaga's new album Mayhem, Brittany shares her favorite Gaga moments.Support public media and receive ad-free listening & bonus content. Join NPR+ today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Chapter 1: What is the significance of the film 'No Other Land'?
So Basel decides to document the expulsion on the ground, hoping to share it with the world and bring an end to the violence that his community is facing every day. And also I'll say there's a really good chance that you, yes, you listening, have not seen this movie.
That's because barely any American theaters are screening it, which is a little wild because ever since it debuted at the Berlin Film Festival last year in 2024, it's been getting universal acclaim. I'm looking at Rotten Tomatoes right now and it has a 100% rating. So what is it about a universally acclaimed movie that US film distributors don't want to touch? Is this a kind of soft censorship?
Is there a history to this sort of thing happening in Hollywood before? And if documentary film is supposed to speak truth to power, what happens when power doesn't want to hear it? So, Parker and Maytha, let's start with the facts. The fact being that this film has not received wide distribution rights in America. Why do you think that is?
Is there something controversial about the subject of the film or is something else going on here?
It's so difficult to get distribution because of the subject matter, which I mean, I haven't heard of this kind of like soft censorship since the Nixon era when there were documentaries like Hearts and Minds, which won the Oscar in 1975. which was a critique on the Vietnam War and that also had distribution issues because it sympathized with the Viet Cong.
Right, right, right, right, right. Documentaries can be dangerous, and especially if they are exposing prevailing systems that are still happening. So we take, for example, Blackfish. SeaWorld tanked after Blackfish. I remember that.
Being able to tell a full story from this village where this community in Masafaryata is resisting the demolition by building their homes every night after it's been demolished. And that's interpreted as a threat.
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Chapter 2: Why is 'No Other Land' not widely distributed in the U.S.?
One of the notes that I wrote down when I was watching the film is that very frequently when homes are being bulldozed, when people are being rounded up, children are watching this. And that is not always the perspective that people are seeing perhaps when they turn on a news broadcast.
Seeing someone's lived experience through their eyes, from their perspective, is something that not really all news really can do. That's kind of the opposite of what news is. Documentary is very different. I could see how there might be some people who might take issue with that.
The fact that we get to see that kind of resilience, you know, in the U.S. as we're talking about this, this is where we are. Our tax dollars are underwriting this kind of violence. So making those connections is dangerous because we can demand that they stop.
You know, Parker, I guess there are a couple reasons why this film might not be getting wider distribution or picked up by a streaming service, for example. One could be an economic reason. I read a quote from one distribution executive saying it's, quote, solely an economic decision and that streamers don't want documentary content. Who is this? Who is this exact? Unnamed, unnamed, unnamed.
Chapter 3: What historical context relates to soft censorship in Hollywood?
What I'm trying to understand here is, though, is, is it the money that distributors are worried about or is it the subject of the film itself? Are they worried it's too unsellable or too political or what?
They can argue the money point because we do have a disintegrating film industry, streaming industry. However, Netflix unloaded 24 Palestinian films not too long ago from their collection and
Yes, that's right. Back in October 2024. And Netflix says that that was because their three-year licensing agreement for these films expired. But you're absolutely right. That could definitely raise some eyebrows.
Yeah. So it would lead people to be skeptical about that argument when it comes to a film that has a Palestinian, this is the first Oscar to go to a Palestinian filmmaker. That's also really important to know. So I am shocked that it's won an Oscar. I am not shocked it doesn't have distribution or that soft censorship might be the part of the play on this.
Chapter 4: How do documentaries confront powerful narratives?
Okay, so we've been talking about why people wouldn't want to distribute the film, but I want to talk just a little bit about why they would. And there's a long history of films that No Other Land is actually like. It's a co-production between two Palestinian and two Israeli filmmakers.
And that's one way, in the past, Palestinian storytellers have been able to get their work out in the world to have Israelis be a part of the project. And one moment that really highlights why
this has perhaps been the case for so long is that when No Other Land screened in Berlin at the Berlin Film Festival last year, 2024, the German Minister of State for Culture was seen clapping for the film during a standing ovation for And there was backlash to her clapping. And then her response to that was to put out a statement saying that she was only applauding the Israeli filmmaker.
That's not how that works. That is famously not how applause works. She said that she was only applauding the Israelis, not the Palestinians, even though they all made the film together.
And this apparent need for Israel's co-sign on Palestinian projects was really on full display at the Oscars last week when one of the Israeli co-directors, Yuval Abraham, gave his acceptance speech immediately after the Palestinian director.
We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger.
You know, when you're watching a black film, a film with a predominantly black cast and the one white guy, like white savior comes in and is like, I'm here to help. I'm here to learn. I'm here to listen. And it kind of like takes a little bit of the air. But that co-sign is essentially what the institution needs.
slowly but surely, the more Palestinian art was being submitted to the Oscars, you would notice that it was being co-directed by an Israeli director in order to give it legitimacy, which feels icky, but is also just inherently a part of Western art.
I want to step back and think about the evolving representation of Palestinians and or Arabs on screen in the United States. Following 9-11, one of the biggest TV shows of the time, 24, with Kiefer Sutherland, was about fighting Middle Eastern terrorists. And, you know, fast forward, 2025, No Other Land, it's won Best Documentary at the Academy Awards.
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Chapter 5: What role does co-production play in Palestinian storytelling?
Documentaries are powerful and so are narrative fiction. And you see the hunger for it.
I mean, that's so real because I think about, was it the first... the first Palestinian film nominated for an Oscar is Paradise Now, which, I mean, congratulations, but also the story is about two Palestinian suicide bombers in Tel Aviv. Like, and now we've, what, 19 years later, now we get, like...
this documentary that is well-rounded in like the experience of being Palestinian in a way that honestly would not have been considered or allowed 19 years ago, which isn't even that long ago.
It's not that long ago. It's within like my adult memory.
Yeah.
Well, Parker, Maitha, I have learned so much here. Thank you both so much. Thank you. Thank you. And as a thank you, I'd like to teach you something by playing a game with you all. Can you stick around for a tiny bit longer? Sure. Sure. All right. We'll be right back with a little game I like to call, But Did You Know? Stick around. All right. All right.
We are going to play a little game I like to call, But Did You Know? Here's how it works. I'm going to share a story that's been making headlines this week. And as I give you some background on the story, I'll also ask you trivia related to it. But don't worry. It's all multiple choice. And the first one to blurt out the right answer gets a point. Person with most points wins.
Oh, no.
So first up, which of these Lady Gaga deep cuts is her best song, according to me? Is it... A, Free Woman from Chromatica, B, So Happy I Could Die from the Fame Monster, or C, Heavy Metal Lover from Born This Way? C? B, I've heard of none of these songs. All right. Well, Parker, I'm going to tell you what, girl. The answer is B, So Happy I Could Die. You got it. I love that song.
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Chapter 6: How has Palestinian representation evolved in Hollywood?
I go A. I mean, C?
Parker, you were actually correct. The answer is A. 100 people.
Oh, my goodness. But you need one. Can I tell you my favorite? Mine is bus. Club. Another bus.
Club. Another club. Another club. Plane. Next place. No sleep. No fear.
I love that one. I say that sometimes to myself when I have like more than two meetings in the same hour.
And I'm just like, oh, bus. I got two more tracking sessions today and an interview. That's what I've been saying already today.
Without further ado, the final question. We all know that Miss Stephanie Joanne Angelina Germanotta, a.k.a. Lady Gaga. Long, long name. Truly revived and redefined the medium of the music video. But according to me, which one of these videos is her absolute best? Is it... A, her latest video for Abracadabra from 2025.
B, the whole Star is Born movie because it's kind of in its own way a music video. Just a really long one. Or C, Alejandro from 2011. B. I'm going to go B. I'll also go B. Unfortunately, you're both wrong. The answer is C, Alejandro. Oh, for three. Wow. For those who don't know, Alejandro was choreographed by Miss Boom Cat Cat herself.
The one, the only, the fabulous choreographer, Lorianne Gibson. And I just have to shout out Lorianne's work. So Alejandro is the answer for me.
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