Film Stars Blast Academy for ‘Failing to Defend’ Palestinian Filmmaker
LOS ANGELES: Movie stars including Joaquin Phoenix, Penelope Cruz and Richard Gere have blasted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for failing to defend an Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker who said he was attacked by Israeli settlers.
Hamdan Ballal’s Ordeal
Hamdan Ballal co-directed “No Other Land”, which won best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards.
This week, he said he had been assaulted by settlers and detained at gunpoint by soldiers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Academy’s Response
Unlike multiple other prominent filmmaker groups, the US-based Academy initially did not issue a statement.
On Wednesday, it sent a letter to members that condemned “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints”, without naming Ballal.
Members’ Rebuke
By yesterday morning, more than 600 Academy members had signed their own statement in response.
“It is indefensible for an organisation to recognise a film with an award in the first week of March, and then fail to defend its filmmakers just a few weeks later,” the members said.
“We stand in condemnation of the brutal assault and unlawful detention of Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal by settlers and Israeli forces in the West Bank,” they wrote.
Condemnation and Criticism
The Academy leadership’s response “fell far short of the sentiments this moment calls for”, said the members.
The Los Angeles-based group’s board convened an extraordinary meeting yesterday to confront the deepening crisis, according to trade outlet Deadline.
Background to the Attack
“No Other Land” chronicles the forced displacement of Palestinians by Israeli troops and settlers in Masafer Yatta – an area Israel declared a restricted military zone in the 1980s.
Despite winning the coveted Oscar, the film has struggled to find a major US distributor.
Ballal’s Detention and Release
Following Monday’s incident, Ballal told AFP the “brutality” of the attack “made me feel it was because I won the Oscar”.
During his detention at an Israeli military centre, Ballal said he noticed soldiers mentioning his name alongside the word “Oscar” during shift changes.
He was released Tuesday, after being detained the previous day for allegedly “hurling rocks”.
Criticisms and Fallout
Yuval Abraham, who also co-directed and appears in the documentary, has criticised the Academy – both for its initial silence, and then for its subsequent statement.
“After our criticism, the academy’s leaders sent out this email to members explaining their silence on Hamdan’s assault: they need to respect ‘unique viewpoints’,” he wrote on X, sharing a screenshot of the Academy’s letter.
Conclusion
The Academy’s failure to defend Ballal has sparked outrage among many in the film industry, and has raised questions about the organisation’s commitment to defending its members and their work. The incident highlights the ongoing conflict and human rights issues in the West Bank, and the need for greater international attention and action.
FAQs
What happened to Hamdan Ballal? Ballal was assaulted by settlers and detained at gunpoint by soldiers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
What was the Academy’s initial response? The Academy initially did not issue a statement on Ballal’s attack.
What did the Academy eventually say? The Academy eventually sent a letter to members that condemned “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints”, without naming Ballal.
How did the Academy’s response affect its members? More than 600 Academy members signed a statement rebuking the Academy’s response, calling it “indefensible” and “far short of the sentiments this moment calls for”.
What is the significance of the film “No Other Land”? The film chronicles the forced displacement of Palestinians by Israeli troops and settlers in Masafer Yatta – an area Israel declared a restricted military zone in the 1980s – and has struggled to find a major US distributor despite winning the coveted Oscar.