“No Other Land” is the film Hollywood is afraid of.
Sure, the Palestinian documentary won the Best Documentary Oscar for 2025, but the film still hasn’t found a mainstream distribution company to present the film in American theaters.
So Amjad Doumani, head of the local activist group Media Decompression Collective, is bringing the controversial film to the Toledo area, himself, and “No Other Land” will be shown exclusively at the Maumee Indoor Theater on May 25.
Indie distribution
“The film does not have commercial distribution in the United States. The national distribution network has refused to distribute it to commercial cinemas because it’s a Palestinian film and they don’t want the Palestinian narrative to be commercialized or talked about,” said Doumani, who worked with an independent film distributor to bring the film to the Toledo area.
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“This film is important for a variety of reasons because it shows the truth about what’s going on in Palestine with the occupation of Palestinian land by the Israeli army,” said Doumani. “Its especially important at this time because of what’s going on in Gaza and the West Bank with the genocide. This is a time for the U.S. public to learn more about it. I felt it was necessary to screen (the film) here in Toledo so people can see it.”
Palestinian-Israeli collaboration
“No Other Land” tells the story of Basel Adra, a young Palestinian activist from Masafer Yatta, who crosses paths with Yuval, an Israeli journalist. A complicated bond between the two men is heightened by their unequal treatment, with Basel living in a warzone and Yuval living unrestricted and free. The film was created by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four young activists as an act of creative resistance and a search for a path towards equality and justice.
Four directors are credited with making “No Other Land,” and the directors released a collective statement about the film and the philosophy behind its creation. “We’re making this film together, a Palestinian-Israeli group of activists and filmmakers, because we want to stop the ongoing expulsion of the community of Masafer Yatta, and resist the reality of Apartheid we were born into – from opposite, unequal sides. Reality around us is becoming scarier, more violent, more oppressive, every day – and we are very weak in front of it. We can only shout out something radically different, this film – which at its core, is a proposal for an alternate way Israelis and Palestinians can live in this land – not as oppressor and oppressed, but in full equality,” read the statement.
A look at genocide
Doumani has seen the film more than once and said “No Other Land” tells the truth about the Palestinian occupation – and said that scares mainstream audiences and film companies. “I think this is the first time a Palestinian film has won an Oscar. The more people know the truth about what’s going on the more they’ll realize that U.S. policy is the wrong policy in the Middle East.’
Doumani encourages audiences to show up for this rare chance to see the controversial documentary on the big screen. “I hope a lot of people show up and turn out to see the film. I hope people see for themselves how Palestianians are living,” explains Doumani, adding, “I’m sure they know about the genocide going on – that’s not a secret anymore – but to get a better, close up look at what’s going on is really important as well, and this film takes you there.
“No Other Land”, Maumee Indoor Theater (601 Conant St.), Sunday, May 25 at 4 p.m. $10. For more visit facebook.com/MDC_Toledo
