Without Ground: Voices that Echo Borders

Cinema has a rare power. It not only tells stories, but crosses borders, awakens consciences and, at times, shakes us with truths we cannot ignore. Among the various cinematic formats, the documentary occupies a special place: its mission is to illuminate what is in the shadows, to give voice to those who have been silenced and to transform distant realities into urgent matters close to home.

"No Other Land," winner of the 2025 Academy Award for Best Documentary, is a powerful example of this transformative force. Directed by Palestinian filmmakers Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal, along with Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the film exposes, with sensitivity and overwhelming starkness, the human cost of occupation, forced displacement, and conflict in the Middle East. Watching this documentary is like taking a punch to the gut. It requires courage because it forces us to confront the daily brutality imposed on Palestinians, a reality that has persisted for decades and that many prefer not to see.

But "No Ground" is not just a portrait of suffering: it is also living proof that, amidst centuries of hatred, there is still room for unlikely encounters. The union of two Palestinians and two Israelis in making this film is, in itself, an act of resistance and hope. Basel Adra, who grew up in Masafer Yatta and has been documenting forced displacement since adolescence, joined forces with Yuval Abraham, an Israeli journalist who frequently traveled to the region to report on the situation to the Israeli public. Rachel Szor and Hamdan Ballal complete the team, bringing their expertise to transform years of filming into a powerful cinematic account.

It was five years of hard work, facing countless challenges and risks, including persecution, threats, and attacks from the police and armed settlers. Basel Adra was nearly shot on more than one occasion during filming, and the crew had to overcome constant obstacles to capture the violent reality. When they stepped onto the Oscar stage, these filmmakers were not just award-winning directors—they were witnesses to an urgent reality. Basel, now a father, held the trophy with trembling hands and a choked voice. "I dream of a future where my daughter can grow up without fear. Where she can have a home that cannot be destroyed overnight. This film is the story of my people, of our resistance, of our unwavering dignity."

Beside him, Yuval Abraham brought another layer of reflection. With a voice full of emotion, he acknowledged his own privileges as an Israeli and made a direct appeal: "We, Israelis and Palestinians, are bound to the same fate. But there can be no peace without justice. The occupation must end."

And then, in a moment of extreme sincerity, Yuval added: "We are not the same. Basel lives under military occupation, and I have freedom of movement. If I am arrested, I am detained for a few hours. If Basel is arrested, it can disappear for months, years. I have rights, it has restrictions. But we are here together because we believe that this reality can change. And it needs to change."

Still, no American studio has shown any willingness to acquire this visceral and controversial film, although distributors typically use this time of year to boast about their Oscar nominations. "I still think it's possible, but we'll have to wait and see," Abraham said last week. "It's clear there are political reasons at play here that are affecting this. I hope that at some point the demand for the film becomes so clear and undeniable that there will be a distributor with enough courage to take it on and show it to the public."

Faced with this situation, the directors opted for a self-distribution plan, taking "No Other Land" to 23 cinemas in the United States. The initial box office success guaranteed further screenings in other cities in the following weeks, gradually expanding its reach. Although the worldwide recognition with the Oscar gave visibility to the documentary, the barrier of commercial distribution in the US persists, reflecting how certain narratives still face resistance in reaching a wider audience. Despite this, the team remains determined to break the silence and raise global awareness of the reality the film portrays.

This documentary does what the best documentary cinema should do: it transforms the invisible into visible, brings closer dramas that seemed distant, and invites us to look at the world with more attentive eyes and a more open heart. In a time when narratives are manipulated and truths are distorted, works like this offer clarity and remind us of our collective responsibility: to listen, understand, and act.

"Without Ground" is more than a film. It's a call to imagine and build a future where the freedom of one people does not mean the oppression of another. As Hannah Arendt wrote, 'freedom is not a gift bestowed, but a shared responsibility.' True justice cannot exist where there is domination, and peace will only be achieved when rights are guaranteed to all, without distinction. This reflection resonates in the film, which reminds us that the struggle for dignity is not a matter of sides, but of humanity. Its strength lies in the simplicity of its message: peace is not a naive dream, it is a concrete necessity, sustained by justice and respect.

And that is the essence of great documentary filmmaking: to reveal that we are all connected and to always remember that no land can be called home if it is not shared by our common humanity.