Oscar-winning documentary ‘No Other Land’ screened at ISSI

ISLAMABAD: The Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with the Embassy of the State of Palestine, hosted a screening of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land on Wednesday.

The co-director of the film Hamdan Ballal was arrested by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank after he was beaten and injured by Israeli settlers, reinstating the necessity to make such films.

The event featured remarks by Ambassador of the State of Palestine Dr Zuhair Zaid, former federal minister Jamal Shah, filmmaker and National Geographic explorer Jawad Sharif, Director General ISSI Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, and Director CAMEA Amina Khan.

Israeli-Palestinian film ‘No Other Land’ wins Oscar

Ambassador Sohail Mahmood said the film is a “call to conscience,” offering a rare collaborative lens—co-directed by Palestinians and Israelis—into the lived reality of occupation. He criticised Israel’s “disproportionate” military response following the October 7, 2023 attack, and mentioned Pakistan’s unwavering support for Palestinian self-determination.

Khan described the documentary as a “moral awakening,” emphasising the Palestinian people’s resilience in the face of efforts to erase their identity. “This film highlights the determination of Palestinians to remain on their land,” she said.

Ambassador Zaid praised ISSI for promoting the Palestinian narrative, calling the ongoing violence in Gaza “not a conflict, but a genocide.” He said Israeli actions since 1948 had involved systematic displacement and discrimination. “The occupation steals childhoods, dreams, and futures,” he said, adding, “We don’t want to bury our children; we want our children to bury us.”

Jamal Shah linked the Gaza crisis to historical injustices dating back to the 1948 Nakba. He called it a “moral and human rights crisis,” and stressed the role of art in amplifying the voices of the oppressed.

Filmmaker Jawad Sharif called the documentary a “powerful story of human dignity under siege,” adding that art can inspire both empathy and action.