Palestinian documentary ‘No Other Land' to stream in MENA from April 1
No Other Land, an acclaimed documentary chronicling the friendship between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist amidst the ongoing conflict in the occupied West Bank, will be available across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) starting April 1. The film can be rented or purchased on OSN Store via set-top boxes and Apple TV, priced at Dh19.99 for rental and Dh49.99 for purchase.
Front Row Filmed Entertainment recently secured distribution rights for the documentary across the MENA region. Front Row plans to imminently release the film theatrically in select cinemas, followed by a premium VOD release across the MENA.
Directed by Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, No Other Land follows Adra's journey as he documents the destruction of his hometown, designated for military training. With the support of Abraham, the film amplifies the urgent reality of displacement and resistance.
The film is an act of resistance documenting the ongoing conflict in the region. A co-production between Palestine and Norway, it had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won both the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary and the Berlinale Documentary Film Award. Since then, it has amassed 68 awards from global film festivals, including honors from the Boston Society of Film Critics, the European Film Awards and the Gotham Independent Film Awards. The documentary reached a historic milestone by winning Best Documentary Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards—making history as the first documentary to claim an Oscar without a traditional distribution deal.
Facing hurdles in securing US distribution, the filmmakers opted for self-distribution in collaboration with Cinetic Media, which facilitated theatrical bookings. The film premiered on February 2 in a single-screen debut, grossing $26,000, and subsequently expanded to 120 screens, surpassing $1.2m in box office earnings over four weeks.
No Other Land provides an intimate portrayal of life in Masafer Yatta, a rural area of the West Bank where Palestinian villagers face the ongoing threat of expulsion by Israeli Defense Forces, who claim the land for military training.
The documentary follows the journey of Adra, a young Palestinian activist from Masafer Yatta, as he fights against the mass displacement of his community. Since his childhood, Adra has captured the demolition of homes and the forced removal of residents under military occupation. His story intersects with that of Abraham, an Israeli journalist who supports his efforts. Despite their collaboration, the stark disparity between their lives — Adra's under occupation and Abraham's in freedom — strains their partnership.
Filmed over four years from 2019 to 2023, the documentary wrapped production in October 2023, offering a deeply personal and urgent account of life under occupation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
16 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Art of summer: Artbooth Gallery show captures spirit of season
Artbooth Gallery, a leading art space in the national capital, is hosting Summered, a group exhibition that brings together a constellation of artists whose expressive works span continents and sensibilities (July 21 – Sept. 7). The public can immerse themselves in a universe where summer turns into an inner season, a state of mind or a breath of inspiration that ties together nature, memory, and imagination. Soraya Abu Naba'a, Gilbert Halaby, Asaad Arabi, James Matthews, Habuba Farah, Noor Bahjat, Bruno Sfeir, Oussama Diab, Layal Khawly and Elias Naman, are the artists who create a dialogue through works that blend contrast, symbolism, vibrant forms, and sculpted silences. From the dreamlike and meticulous florals of Soraya Abu Naba'a to the introspective paintings of Gilbert Halaby, Summered reveals, through each work, a fragment of a personal world that opens itself to collective reflection. Asaad Arabi's composition Gate of dream. James Matthews, a visual artist and educator based in Abu Dhabi since 2007, brings to the exhibition a visual language shaped by international experience. Asaad Arabi offers lyrical cityscapes where colours dance like suspended musical notes, while Habuba Farah weaves geometric abstraction into a poetic modernity, rooted in sound and rhythm. Noor Bahjat presents surreal and densely narrative self-portraits, while Bruno Sfeir explores interior worlds with symbolic depth. Oussama Diab expresses displacement and memory with gentle irony and sharp cultural references. Layal Khawly, penultimately through architectural compositions, seeks unity between art and social engagement. Finally Elias Naman, a sculptor of silence, reveals raw, pure, and timeless emotion through hand-carved stone. Elias Naman's work titled Fragment of Humanity I. Soraya was born to a Palestinian father and a mother of Lebanese descent. She spent her childhood life in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Travelling has had a huge impact on her visual language and meeting people from different countries, ignited an interest in their life stories. Gilbert Halaby (b. 1979) is a self-taught, multi-disciplinary artist and renowned designer who was born in a village in Mount Lebanon. He is known for producing a wide variety of art and written work that spans paintings, sculptures, poems and letters. Born in Damascus (1941), Asaad Arabi, in different series throughout his lengthy career, has skilfully used composition and colour in harmony, creating unity between the different aspects of his work. In the defined colour blocks of his abstract works, viewers gradually discern figures, architectural forms and patterns, while in his figurative works, bodies are painted in hues that merge with their environments. James Matthews is a British artist known for various styles, including Impressionist and Modern landscapes and portrait sculpture. He also works with woodblock and mixed media prints, often incorporating themes of culture, environment and sustainability related to the UAE, particularly using date palm tree paper. Ousamma Diab's Man and shadow. Over the course of a lifelong creative journey, Habuba Farah (b. 1931) has established a distinctive artistic identity through dynamic abstract compositions that explore colour, geometry, and movement. Her style, is often described as 'Lyrical Geometric Abstraction'. 'I identify as a woman and artist of Arab descent,' she once said, reflecting on how her artistic practice embodies both her Brazilian upbringing and Arab heritage. She was born into a family of Lebanese immigrants who settled in Brazil in the early 20th century. Noor Bahjat is a surrealist self-portrait artist working in an expressionistic style with a primarily figurative subject matter. After a visit to the Philippines, her palette and visual narrative drastically changed, moving away from dark and static compositions towards illuminated backgrounds, incorporating elements of nature and water in her portraits. Bruno Sfeir is an Uruguayan-Lebanese painter, who, in his extensive career, has created works across various mediums, exploring a wide range of themes. His art has travelled around the globe; each piece reflects a deep internal process, rooted in meditation. Vertigo Skyline by Noor Bahjat. Due to his background as a stateless Palestinian, Oussama Diab has always been a refugee, including in his native country, Syria. His work reflects the questions relating to humanity and freedom, justice and injustice, violence and struggle, human suffering and loss. But despite having experienced war and loss first-hand, he has always been moved by compassion and by hope too – another feature he wants to express in his work. He is not primarily concerned with political issues, but with the principles of humanity. Layal Khawly is a Lebanese visual artist and painter. Khawly decided to use her art for the common good, allowing those who cannot express themselves to be represented through her, thus allowing nobody to truly ever feel alone. Without preparatory sketches or machinery, Elias Naman sculpts by hand, forging an unfiltered dialogue between artist and stone. His work explores themes of identity, spirituality and the human condition, working to capture fleeting emotions in enduring materials. Work titled Still life by Soraya Abu Naba'a. Summered is more than an ode to the blazing light of the season. It is a journey through the inner landscapes of being, an invitation to contemplate the world differently, in a time suspended between warmth, reflection, and creation. Together, the artists form an orchestra, each voice distinct, harmonised in shared pursuit: to render visible the unseen layers of the self, of memory, and of belonging. The works transcend aesthetics: they are testaments, heirlooms, and quiet revolutions, each piece a vessel of history, transformation, and vision. Summered is a moment of pause within movement, a season captured not in Fahrenheit, but in feeling. The works are the echoes of a summer lived in full colour, depth, and purpose.
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Middle East Eye
Royal Opera pulls out of Israel production after staff revolt
The Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO) has pulled out of a planned production run of the opera Turandot in Israel, the company's CEO Alex Beard confirmed in a message to staff. Beard told his employees that "Tosca will not be going to Israel" following weeks of staff dissent over their refusal to perform in Israel and anger at the treatment of a performer who raised the Palestinian flag after a performance. In July, dancer Danni Perry raised the Palestinian flag during an ovation following a performance of Il Trovatore. Perry was challenged by the opera's director, Oliver Mears, who attempted to pull the flag off him. The performer was later reportedly "banned" from participation in future performances. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The incident set off declarations of solidarity with Perry by members of the company, with 182 members of staff joining a call to reject future performances in Israel. Staff, including performers, dancers, musicians and technicians amongst others, signed a letter demanding that RBO "withholds our productions from institutions that legitimise and economically support a state engaged in the mass killing of civilians". "In recent months, the world has witnessed the systematic destruction of Palestinian lives, homes, and cultural heritage. Tens of thousands have been killed, millions displaced, and essential infrastructure deliberately targeted, in clear violation of international law," the letter said. War on Gaza: Campaigners shut down fundraiser for Israeli soldiers at London theatre Read More » "It is in this climate that our organisation has chosen to actively support the Israeli state and its economy by hiring our production of Turandot to The Israeli Opera." Staff demands in the letter included the cessation of performances in Israel, an acknowledgement by the RBO of genocide in Gaza, solidarity with Perry and disciplinary action against Mears. The world of opera, like others in the performing arts, faces an internal reckoning over its response to Israel's onslaught on Gaza. Many artists refuse to perform in Israel as they consider it tacit endorsement of its atrocities against Palestinians in the besieged enclave.
Middle East Eye
5 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Ziad Rahbani: A musical genius connected to his people
This week, mourning crowds gathered outside Khoury Hospital in Beirut's Hamra neighbourhood to bid a final farewell to the iconic and much-adored Lebanese composer, pianist and playwright Ziad Rahbani, who passed away at just 69. Rahbani reportedly chose not to undergo a liver transplant, following months of hesitation over the treatment of his deteriorating health. The crowd - many dressed in black, clutching roses, a few Palestinian and Lebanese Communist party flags and some holding up Ziad's portrait - spontaneously broke into a solemn chant of Saalouni el Nass (People Asked Me). It was the first song Ziad ever composed for his mother, Fairuz, written when he was just 17. As the hearse carrying his body departed for his funeral in Bikfaya, the mourners erupted into applause and whistles - as if this was Ziad's final play, the curtains closing on a remarkable and unrepeatable chapter of artistic authenticity, social and political rebellion and intellectual brilliance. When asked by a reporter "What did Lebanon lose today?", Talal Haider, the great Lebanese poet and close friend of Ziad, poignantly replied "Lebanon lost itself". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Comrade Ziad At a young age, on the cusp of the Lebanese civil war, Ziad left East Beirut where his family were living, to settle in Hamra, choosing to live at the heart of Lebanon's pro-Palestinian leftist movements and communist party, among his comrades and friends. Hamra was the neighbourhood where Ziad spent most of his life. His home and famous recording studio, Nota, were there. His historic plays - that shaped Lebanon's daily life, people's consciousness, sarcasm and vocabulary for decades - were first staged in its theatres such as Piccadilly. There's not a single house in Lebanon that Ziad wasn't present in. His work touched everyone, even those who were against him politically And he played countless concerts in the neighbourhood's small jazz clubs and hotel bars, like Blue Note and the Cavalier. Since the 1970s until today, his music has been played on a daily basis in Hamra's bars and cafes - many of them once his regular hangouts. And on Monday, he left Hamra forever. This was the people's funeral for Ziad Rahbani, known affectionately as Comrade Ziad. The huge crowd that filled the streets included his friends, neighbours, comrades, actors, musicians, writers and poets from across Lebanese society. And of course, his fans - an entire generation raised on his music and plays. There's not a single house in Lebanon that Ziad wasn't present in. His work touched everyone, even those who were against him politically would secretly listen to his music. Ziad may have been a cultural icon and visionary, but he lived modestly, among the people and his community. Ziad's socially realist and politically charged plays from the 1970s to the 1990s spoke to a whole generation and brought him national acclaim. While he had previously contributed music to the plays of his father and uncle - the monumental artistic duo known as the Rahbani Brothers - on productions such as Al Mahatta (The Station, 1973) and Mais El Rim (1975), Ziad quickly carved out his own distinct identity as a playwright, director and actor. Lebanese musician Ziad Rahbani playing the piano, the instrument that has shaped most of his compositions since his first ventures in the early 1970s (AFP) His second play, Nazel el Surour (The Happiness Hotel, 1973), written when he was just 18, marked a turning point in modern Arabic theatre. A bold political satire - often said to have predicted the civil war - it tackled themes of corruption, class inequality and poked fun at failed revolutionary ideals. In Bennesbeh Labokra… Chou? (What About Tomorrow?), Ziad focused his attention on the struggles of Lebanon's working class and their everyday hardships. Ziad's plays combined deep and complex subject matter with a dark fatalistic humour that dissected Lebanese society And in Film Ameriki Tawwil (The American Motion Picture), inspired by One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - he explored sectarianism and the division and despair it brought, criticising its discourse and exposing the banality of it in the middle of the Lebanese civil war. Ziad's plays - listened to religiously throughout the war and until today - combined deep and complex subject matter with a dark, fatalistic humour that dissected Lebanese society. They captured the absurdity and doomed reality of life in Lebanon under sectarian politics, class divides and war - themes that sadly have not lost their relevance today. The songs he composed for them - set to lush soundscapes with influences ranging from Brazilian, soul, funk, jazz and dabke - revealed his encyclopedic knowledge of music, and genius ability in arranging and composing, and fusing different styles and genres. The father of 'Oriental jazz' Ziad's timeless soundtracks came to define the sound of the leftist movement, and jokes and phrases from the plays seeped into everyday conversation, becoming part of the cultural fabric. His work was a guiding force in Lebanon's political consciousness. He shaped the leftist movements that he was part of with his ideas, radio shows, writings and music. Elias Rahbani: Eleven tracks that defined Lebanese musician's life and legacy Read More » Ziad's contribution to Lebanese and Arabic music was revolutionary - laying new foundations for its modernisation. He created his own musical world, always innovating and coming out with pioneering ideas that resulted in forward-thinking waves of music. He was a musical genius who was able to create his own distinct sound and identity, completely separate from the shadow of the Rahbani Brothers - his father Assi and uncle Mansour Rahbani - and his mother, Fairuz, who dominated the Lebanese music industry for decades. As an artist, his musical offering was difficult to categorise and define - elegant and complex yet subtle, gritty and experimental yet accessible, and never lacking in originality. Across his career, he covered the full spectrum of styles, from the Rahbani Brothers' classical sound to unusual bellydance records, Arabic jazz, funk, disco and soul to tarab, dabke, Brazilian, Latin and political protest music. He took elements of the genres he loved to compose new chapters in Arabic music that were distinctly Ziad. A true musical maverick, he was able to present his ideas in a way that immediately connected to his people. Ziad Rahbani was the father of 'Oriental jazz', the term he used (and later critiqued) when he fused Arabic and jazz music over several projects such as Houdou Nisbi and Behashakal, the sound later becoming part of his musical identity. While the greats of Arabic music had long brought a variety of international influences into their music, Ziad's contribution left an undeniable mark on contemporary Arabic music. We can trace the beginnings of Oriental jazz to Abu Ali - the 13-minute masterpiece, an Arabic jazz-funk instrumental version of the introduction for his 1974 play Abu Ali Al Asmarani. It was recorded in Athens with the 35-piece symphony orchestra of Greek radio at great cost, and released on the small and innovative independent label Zida run by Lebanese-Armenian producer Khatchik Mardirian, which put out all of Ziad's creative output for two years. Ziad even flew out members of his inner circle to be involved in the project, including the actor and singer Joseph Sakr, his close friend and longtime collaborator, and two members of the cult politically engaged group Firkat Al Ard, who he was working with at the time - guitarist Issam Hajali and jazz saxophonist and composer Toufic Farroukh. Ziad's productions brought Fairuz closer to the people, reshaping her sound for a rapidly changing Lebanon and wider Arab world Aimed at the global disco market, Abu Ali didn't break internationally at the time of its release in 1979, but the record displays Ziad's immense talent as a composer, and his perfectionism - sometimes to the point of obsession - when it came to instrumentation and arrangement. As Hajali told us in a previous interview about Abu Ali, "[Ziad] wrote everything. Nothing was accidental, everything was written, even the whisper". Forty years later, it has become a cult record, played on international radio stations and in the global underground clubbing scene. On the same trip to Greece, the music for Fairuz's 1979 album Wahdon was recorded. Also released on Zida, it was a landmark release for the iconic singer - the first to be entirely produced, composed and arranged by her son. Ziad's collaboration with Fairuz spanned decades. He revolutionised her sound, modernising it for a new generation and bringing a multitude of influences, from jazz and Brazilian, to her music across albums like Kifak Inta?, Maarifti Feek and Wala Keef?. Lebanese diva Fairuz (C) talks to her son, composer Ziad Rahbani (R), and Armenian conductor Karen Durgarian during rehearsals prior to their Dubai concert on 23 January 2003 (AFP) This transformation of Fairuz's musical style - paired with bold lyrics - was initially controversial to some across the Arabic-speaking world. It marked a sharp departure from the romantic folkloric style and weighty poetic lyricism that had defined the Rahbani Brothers' work, where Fairuz was positioned as the ethereal voice of a fictionalised ideal of Lebanon - elevating her to an untouchable sacred figure. Ziad's productions brought Fairuz closer to the people, reshaping her sound for a rapidly changing Lebanon and wider Arab world, and placing her as a modern evolving artist, rather than a nostalgic and static symbol to the past. Raw and uncompromising Ziad lived his life and made music in unwavering alignment with his vision and ideals - always raw and uncompromising. Ziad wasn't just a cultural giant, he was a lexicon, a mood, a feeling, at the very crux of Lebanese identity He kept a strong political and social consciousness to his work throughout his career, fighting against all forms of commercialism, consumerism and capitalism in music and society. He was deeply involved in Lebanon's political life, expressing strong - and often controversial - opinions about what was happening in the country and regionally through his articles, music, radio shows and interviews. His opinions, political analyses and cutting humour made reverberations throughout Lebanese society - even among his political opponents. Ziad didn't do things in half measures. Music and politics were his only worries. He lived a free life, on his own terms, and left the same way. But he wasn't just a cultural giant, Ziad was a lexicon, a mood, a feeling, at the very crux of Lebanese identity. With his death, his legend and the legacy he left behind will live on. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
