Basel Adra is a Palestinian activist living with his family in Masafer Yatta, a village in the southern West Bank in Gaza. Nearly every day, Israeli settlers and soldiers arrive to demolish homes, displacing yet another group of families. For the past 20 years, Adra and his relatives have documented this relentless destruction, determined to bring global attention to their people’s plight. Despite the constant threat of violence, harassment and arrest, he remains steadfast in his mission.
Thus begins “No Other Land.” Early on, we meet Israeli anti-occupation activist Yuval Abraham and Hamdan Ballal, Adra’s friend from a nearby village. Along with cinematographer Rachel Szor, the three share directing credits for the film. Shot over five years, from 2019 to 2023, and incorporating footage dating back to the early 2000s, “No Other Land” feels less like a conventional documentary and more like a raw, visual diary. It avoids talking-head interviews and polished production values in favor of unfiltered, unmediated experience.
As difficult to describe as it is to watch, the film chronicles the slow erasure of Masafer Yatta, an area Israeli courts have designated as off-limits for military training. Primarily shot on smartphones and handheld cameras, much of the film’s 95-minute runtime consists of confrontations with soldiers and their immediate aftermaths. In between these heartbreaking encounters, focus is given to smaller, quieter moments — children playing, furniture being moved, family dinners — all presented in the same matter-of-fact tone.
A central thread in the film is the evolving relationship between Adra and Abraham. While Abraham seems committed to solidarity, the power imbalance between them remains undeniable. As an Israeli, he has privileges Adra and Ballal do not; at the end of the day, he can always return home back to Israel. This unspoken tension between the idealistic, liberal Zionist Abraham and the more jaded Adra complicates their dynamic, yet this tension is never interrogated, making it “No Other Land’s” weakest link.
The film also invites one to ponder the implications of class. By Palestinian standards, Adra and his family are decidedly middle-class, owning and operating a gas station out of their home. While subject to the same harassment and discrimination as other Palestinian Arabs, this whole film only exists because of Adra’s access to technology and ability to drive from village to village. One can’t help but ponder what else must go on when no one is filming.
It’s impossible to ignore the added weight the film has taken on since its release. In the wake of October 7, 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has led to an escalation of violence and repression in the West Bank. A brief epilogue touches on these developments, but recent events have made them even more urgent — especially the assault and arrest of co-director Hamdan Ballal just weeks ago.
At a time when discussions about Palestine are intensifying, “No Other Land” arrives as a powerful and perhaps necessary document. Though not without its flaws, it demands to be seen.
s.loveland@dailyutahchronicle.com
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