Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: Spanish Parliament has overwhelmingly voted in favor of legislation banning arms sales to "Israel"
Syrian leadership approved the return of spy Eli Cohen's archive to "Israel": Reuters citing sources
Government Media Office in Gaza: The [Israeli] policy of starvation has led to more than 300 cases of miscarriage among pregnant women during the same 80-day period
Government Media Office in Gaza: The [Israeli] policy of starvation has resulted in the deaths of 326 people due to malnutrition and the lack of food and medicine over the past 80 days
UN says no aid distributed yet in Gaza
EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas asks for a review of EU-"Israel" trade deal
Rubio says Syria could be weeks away from 'full-scale civil war'
Sweden seeks EU sanctions targeting "individual Israeli ministers": Minister to AFP
UK pauses trade deal talks with "Israel", summons ambassador over new Gaza offensive
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 67 martyrs in Israeli strikes on Gaza since morning.

Hollywood slams Academy silence on assaulted Palestinian filmmaker

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 28 Mar 2025 23:16
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

Actors such as Joaquin Phoenix, Penelope Cruz, and Richard Gere expressed their dismay over the Academy's reluctance to speak out more forcefully.

Listen
  • x
  • APHamdan Ballal, Oscar-winning Palestinian co-director of "No Other Land," is checked at a hospital in Al Khalil, a day after being detained by the Israeli Occupation Fore following an attack by Jewish settlers in the village of Susiya in Masafer Yatta, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is under fire for its failure to defend No Other Land co-director Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker who was recently attacked by Israeli settlers and detained by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank.

Ballal, whose documentary won Best Documentary at this year's Academy Awards, said he was assaulted earlier this week, held at gunpoint, and detained at a military center where soldiers referenced both his name and the word "Oscar" during shift changes. He was released on Tuesday after being held on accusations of "hurling rocks." Speaking to AFP, Ballal said the "brutality" of the encounter "made me feel it was because I won the Oscar." 

While several international film organizations promptly condemned the incident, the US-based Academy initially stayed silent. It later issued a letter to its members stating it condemned "harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints," but notably did not mention Ballal by name.

The vague nature of the statement triggered strong reactions within the film community. More than 600 Academy members responded with a signed letter criticizing the leadership's muted stance. "It is indefensible for an organization to recognize a film with an award in the first week of March, and then fail to defend its filmmakers just a few weeks later," they wrote.

The letter further stated, "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." According to the signatories, the Academy's official response "fell far short of the sentiments this moment calls for."

Related News

Robert De Niro slams Trump as global threat at Cannes Festival

Trump orders 100% tariff on foreign films to revive 'dying' Hollywood

Actors such as Joaquin Phoenix, Penelope Cruz, and Richard Gere joined the outcry, expressing their dismay over the Academy's reluctance to speak out more forcefully.

Read more: France condemns attack of Oscar-winning Palestinian director

On Friday, Deadline reported that the Academy's board held an emergency meeting to address the growing backlash, though no new public statement has been issued. 

Ballal's co-director, Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham, also voiced his disappointment. In a post on X, Abraham criticized the Academy's email to members, writing, "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'."

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" pic.twitter.com/69mdp4aE9m

— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) March 27, 2025

No Other Land, which documents the expulsion of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta—an area designated by "Israel" as a military zone in the 1980s—has yet to secure major US distribution despite winning the Oscar.

  • Hollywood
  • Oscars
  • Hamdan Ballal
  • No Other Land
  • Academy Awards
  • Yuval Abraham

Most Read

Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing

Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing

  • Politics
  • 15 May 2025
Two F-35 jets arrive at it's new operational base Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015, at Hill Air Force Base, in northern Utah. (AP)

F-35 near-misses over Yemen signal new risks for 'Israel': Forbes

  • Politics
  • 14 May 2025
Abu Obaida

Abu Obeida posts shortly after Israeli reports about his assassination

  • Palestine
  • 15 May 2025
YAF say struck 'Israel's' Ben-Gurion Airport with missiles, drones

YAF say struck 'Israel's' Ben Gurion Airport with missiles, drones

  • MENA
  • 18 May 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza prevails against genocide

Read Next

All
Gulf investments quietly boosted Elon Musk and family fortunes
US & Canada

Gulf investments quietly boosted Elon Musk and family fortunes

A 3D render of China's planned 'drone mothership' Credit: X/@XH_Lee23
US & Canada

China unveils drone mothership capable of swarm attacks

Relatives of Venezuelan migrants deported by the US to a Salvadoran prison protested outside the UN building in Caracas on April 9, 2025 (AP)
US & Canada

At least 50 migrants deported to El Salvador prison entered US legally

A city bus goes by the historic city of Santiago, Spain during a major power outage across Spain and Portugal on April, 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
Europe

Spain hit by major phone network outage weeks after nation blackout

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS