‘No Other Land’ Co-Director Says U.S. Academy ‘Refused’ to Issue Statement in Support of Hamdan Ballal: They Were ‘Silent When a Filmmaker They Honored Needed Them the Most’

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran Yuval Abraham, one of the filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” has criticized the Academy for not commenting on the attack of his Palestinian co-director Hamdan Ballal.

Ballal was released by Israeli authorities on Tuesday after Abraham wrote on X the day prior that he had gone missing after being attacked. “A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film ‘No Other Land,’” Abraham said. “They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding.

Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since.” Reports of Ballal’s attack and detainment sparked a petition calling for his release and statements from organizations like the International Documentary Association.

On Wednesday, Abraham called out the Academy in a post on X for not speaking out. “Sadly, the U.S. Academy, which awarded us an Oscar three weeks ago, declined to publicly support Hamdan Ballal while he was beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers and settlers,” he wrote. “The European Academy voiced support, as did countless other award groups and festivals.