EXCLUSIVE: Hamdan Ballal and his comrade No other land The filmmakers thank the best members of the Academy of Arts and Sciences of the film for having signed a letter which prompted the leadership Ampas to adopt a firmer position condemning a attack on the Ballal by Israeli colonists.
Palestinian filmmakers Ballal and Basel Adra and Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor wrote a note that was distributed today to all the signatories of Friday’s letter. “Dear friends,” said the note, “we wanted to briefly share with you that Hamdan’s physical condition has improved in recent days and that he is at home with his children. The letter you wrote to support has deeply distant for us personally, and also politically important, in particular the absence of the Academy, that meant many many letters. Read the complete letter below.
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Nearly 900 members of the academy signed the message sent to the president of the academy, Janet Yang and the CEO, Bill Kramer, who criticized the initial pair response to an incident in which the Israeli colonists would have beaten Ballal outside his house in the rural masafer in the occupying bank on Friday on Friday. Allegedly beaten while he was in the Cusstody and observed the film. The initial declaration of Yang and Kramer on the attack circulated in private the members of the Academy, condemned “to harm or remove the artists for their work or their points of view” but did not mention Ballal by name, nor No other landwhich won the Oscar for the best documentary operation on March 2.
Left
Mike Coppola / Getty images
This letter, considered to be token by certain criticisms within the Academy, provoked an emergency meeting of the Ampas Governors’ Council on Friday. As Deadline reported, following this meeting, Yang and Kramer published a declaration of excuses which said: “On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to violence reports against the Oscar winner, Hamdan Ballal, co -director of the co -director of No other landlinked to its artistic expression. We regret not directly recognizing Mr. Ballal and the film by name. »»
The thank you message of the four directors of No other land Arrow Signatories – A list that now includes Ben Affleck, JJ Abrams, Ava Duvernay, Denis Villeneuve, Edward Norton, Rice Ahmed, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Joaquin Phoenix, Sarah Polley, the three governors of the Documentary Branch – Simon Kilmurry, Jean Tsien and Chris Shegedus – and hundreds more academy. (Click here to see the list of signatories). Ballal, Adra, Abraham and Szor write: “You retaliated against dehumanization, against the idea that the Palestinian lives are worth less, and for that, we are grateful. We know that the way to go will not be easy, but your solidarity has recalled that we are not walking alone on this path. ”
Basel directors Adra, left, and Yuval Abraham in “No other land”
Yabaya Media / Dogwoof / Everett collection
During the weekend, No other land Has crossed the $ 2 million mark on box office in the United States and Canada. It is self-distributed by the auspices of kinetics after having omitted to receive major distribution offers for the North American market. He has won $ 2.8 million worldwide.
Here is the entire letter:
Dear friends, we wanted to briefly share with you that Hamdan’s physical condition has improved in recent days and that he is at home with his children. The letter you wrote by supporting has deeply moved him for us personally, and as important politically, especially since the attacks against the community of Masafer Yatta continue every day. At a time when we felt ourselves ignored by the Academy, it meant a lot of reading your letter and knowing that we are not alone. You retaliated against dehumanization, against the idea that Palestinian life is less worth, and for that, we are grateful. We know that the coming path will not be easy, but your solidarity has recalled that we are not walking alone on this path.
With respect, Hamdan Ballal, Basel Adra, Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham
