“No Other Land”, interview with the directors Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham

February 19, 2024

Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, directors, "No Other Land". The most urgent film at the Berlinale, an eye-opener on the actual situation of the Israeli military action on the Gaza strip.

"No Other Land", interview with the directors Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham Angelo Acerbi

Podcast | Download

“No Other Land” is probably the most urgent film in this year’s Berlinale. The documentary directed by a collective composed by Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor and Hamadan Ballal is a reconstruction and demonstration of the process of forced extradition from their own territories of the Palestinian communities of the Masafer Yatta region, in the Gaza strip, made by the Israeli government.

The process started back in the early 70’s and still goes on now, being more actual and urgent due to the recent development of the conflict in that region.

A collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian young people together

Yuval is Israeli (as Rachel), Basel is Palestinian (as Hamadan , and with “No Other Land” they demonstrate that the collaboration and community of beliefs and intents is possible. They all fight the same fight with the same goals. Yuval is considered a traitor from some of the press and the institutions in Israel, but he wants to be true to himself and fight for right cause.

Years of footage to choose from

Since his childhood Basel’s parents taught him to stand up for the cause of freedom and kept on shooting images and footage of the occupation’s development, as Basel is still doing now. The footage to choose from was a lot and choices have been difficult, in order to give the best possible ( and more real) demonstration of what was and is actually happening in the area.

Plot

Basel Adra, a young Palestinian activist from Masafer Yatta on the West Bank, has been fighting the mass expulsion of his community by Israel's occupation since childhood. He documents the slow-motion eradication of the villages in his home region where soldiers deployed by the Israeli government are gradually demolishing houses and driving out their residents. At some point, he meets Yuval, an Israeli journalist, who supports him in his efforts. An unlikely alliance develops. But the relationship between the two is strained by the enormous inequality between them: Basel lives under military occupation while Yuval lives freely and without restrictions.
This film by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four young activists has been made as an act of creative resistance on the path to greater justice.

Written by: Angelo Acerbi

Guest