Made by a four-person collective of Israeli and Palestinian activists, this unflinching, prize-winning documentary depicts the harrowing conditions of a mountain village living under constant violence. Basel Adra, one of the film’s directors, has been documenting the forced evictions and bulldozing of homes in Masafer Yatta for decades, and his moving and enraging footage shows increased disregard for Palestinian lives. His difficult friendship with Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, also on the directorial team, forms another emotional center for the film as they remain colleagues despite the fact that one of them has significantly more power and access. Also noteworthy is the fact that all of the footage is from before October 7, giving No Other Land historical stature as a record of simmering rage before matters become immeasurably worse. The film deservedly won the Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival.
—Rod Armstrong