Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker and human rights activist, gained global recognition after winning an Academy Award for his documentary No Other Land. However, just days after his Oscar win, Ballal was the talk of the town again¡ªbut this time for a different reason. He was allegedly attacked by Israeli settlers near his home in Susiya, West Bank, and later detained by Israeli authorities.
Ballal¡¯s work goes beyond filmmaking; he has spent years documenting human rights violations in the region and advocating for his community.
Before becoming a filmmaker, Ballal worked as a farmer, photographer, and activist. His dedication to human rights led him to participate in the Humans of Masafer Yatta project, which highlights the struggles of Palestinians living in the West Bank¡¯s Masafer Yatta region.
Ballal also works as a field researcher for human rights organizations, including B¡¯Tselem, an NGO that documents abuses by Israeli settlers. His firsthand experiences in the conflict zone have shaped his filmmaking, making No Other Land a testimony to the struggles of Palestinians facing displacement.
No Other Land is Ballal¡¯s debut film, co-directed with Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra, and Israeli cinematographer Rachel Szor. The documentary follows Basel Adra, a young Palestinian activist fighting against the displacement of his community by Israeli forces in Masafer Yatta. It captures the destruction of homes, the forced eviction of residents, and the unlikely friendship between Adra and Abraham, an Israeli journalist.
The film premiered at the 2023 Berlinale, winning the Audience Award and Berlinale Documentary Award. Since then, it has received international acclaim, securing wins at 68 film festivals, including the BAFTA Awards, European Film Awards, and Gotham Independent Film Awards.
Despite its success, No Other Land has struggled with distribution, particularly in the United States. Co-director Yuval Abraham suggested that political reasons might be behind the lack of a major distributor.
The attack on Ballal came shortly after No Other Land won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 97th Academy Awards. His co-director, Basel Adra, suspects that the assault could be retaliation for making the film.
"We came back from the Oscars, and every day since, there has been an attack on us," Adra told AP. "It feels like punishment for making the movie."
Ballal is currently injured and being held in an Israeli settlement, with no confirmed reports on his condition. According to Abraham, his lawyer has not been allowed to speak to him yet, raising concerns about his well-being.
As present, Ballal¡¯s arrest has drawn global attention, sparking debates about press freedom, human rights, and the risks faced by Palestinian activists.