Oscar Winner ‘No Other Land’ Finds Middle East Distribution via Front Row: ‘We Have a Duty to Make Sure It Reaches Audiences’

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The Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land” has secured a distributor within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, a place where it is expected to hold particular significance.

Front Row Filmed Entertainment, a significant distributor based in Dubai, has obtained the MENA rights for a highly relevant film. This film is directed by a collective of four young activists with Palestinian-Israeli backgrounds: Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, and Basel Adra. The documentary follows the systematic destruction of Palestinian homes and villages in the Masafer Yatta region of the West Bank, carried out by Israeli military bulldozers. Last year, it won the Best Documentary award at the Berlin Film Festival where it premiered, and has since been screened extensively on the festival circuit, accumulating numerous other accolades before being nominated for an Oscar.

Standing in the grandeur of the Oscars stage, I found myself moved to speak out as a fellow cinephile and a Palestinian journalist: “I implore the world to act decisively against the ongoing injustices and the ethnic cleansing that our people are facing. Two months ago, I was blessed with a daughter, and my deepest wish for her is that she will never have to endure the life I live now… ‘No Other Land’ mirrors the unyielding hardship we’ve faced for decades but continue to resist.

Abraham, a journalist from Israel, discussed the potency of the movie as a joint effort between Israelis and Palestinians. “Together, our voices carry more weight,” he stated. “We recognize each other – the devastation in Gaza and its people, which needs to cease, the Israeli hostages, who were cruelly seized on October 7, and they must be released.

Despite being sold to numerous territories, including the UK and France, following its Berlin launch in 2024, “No Other Land” has faced difficulty finding a distribution platform in both the U.S., where it was self-released by the filmmakers with assistance from mTuckman Media, and previously in the MENA region, as distributors often avoid politically sensitive content.

In the United States, the film “No Other Land” debuted on a solitary screen on February 2, earning $26,000, and subsequently garnering over $1.2 million as it gained popularity over subsequent weeks. However, its expansion to 120 screens has stirred up controversy, with Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner urging the city to terminate a lease agreement and withdraw financial aid from an independent cinema showing the movie. He described it as a “biased, one-sided propaganda piece that unjustly slanders Jewish people, contradicting our city’s values and residents.” Following the Oscars, Palestinian rights organizations have also criticized the film for potentially breaching the guidelines of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which discourages Palestinians from collaborating with Israeli businesses operating in the West Bank.

In a world overflowing with mainstream stories, it’s crucial to take into account various viewpoints,” Front Row chief Gianluca Chakra expressed in a statement. “This film provides a rare vantage point, gathering directors who share a common vision of justice. The visuals are captivating and unlike anything else seen before. It’s our responsibility to ensure that this extraordinary footage reaches viewers.

As a devoted film enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that “No Other Land” will soon be gracing the big screens of selected cinemas in the MENA region. Following this theatrical release, it’s going to be available for premium video-on-demand viewing across the region as well. Can’t wait to immerse myself in this movie experience!

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2025-03-14 13:46