‘No Other Land’ Directors Thank Academy Members For Coming To Defense Of Hamdan Ballal After Attack

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Hamdan Ballal and his fellow No Other Land filmmakers are thanking top members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for signing a letter that pushed AMPAS leadership to take a firmer stance condemning an attack on Ballal by Israeli settlers.

Palestinian filmmakers Ballal and Basel Adra and Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor wrote a note which has been distributed today to all the signatories of Friday’s letter. “Dear friends,” the note says, “We wanted to briefly share with you that Hamdan’s physical condition has improved over the past few days and he is at home with his children.

The letter you wrote in support of him has been deeply moving for us personally, and also important politically, especially as the attacks on the Masafer Yatta community continue every day.

At a time when we felt ignored by the Academy it meant a lot to read your letter and know we are not alone.” Read the full letter below. RELATED: Miami Beach Mayor Caves, Drops Plan To Shutter Indie Theater For Showing Oscar Winner ‘No Other Land’ Nearly 900 Academy members have signed the message sent Friday to Academy President Janet Yang and CEO Bill Kramer, which criticized the pair’s initial response to an incident in which Israeli settlers allegedly beat Ballal outside his home in the rural Masafer Yatta area in the occupied West Bank, and then Israeli authorities detained the filmmaker and allegedly beat him while he was in custody and mocked him for winning an Oscar.