Greater than 600 members have signed an open letter criticizing the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences’ “lack of support” for Hamdan Ballal, the Oscar-winning documentarian who was arrested Monday by Israeli forces within the occupied West Financial institution.
The letter famous that Academy president Janet Yang and CEO Invoice Kramer “fell far short” with their assertion Wednesday, which was apparently emailed to members below the topic line, “Our Global Film Community.” The assertion didn’t point out Ballal or his movie by title.
His 2024 documentary “No Other Land” chronicled the continuing eviction of Palestinians from their West Financial institution properties and was co-directed with Basel Adra, a fellow Palestinian, and Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. It received the Oscar for Greatest Documentary earlier this 12 months.
“We stand in condemnation of the brutal assault and unlawful detention of Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal by settlers and Israeli forces in the West Bank,” the letter opened. “As artists, we depend on our ability to tell stories without reprisals.”
“Documentary filmmakers often expose themselves to extreme risks to enlighten the world,” it continued. “It is indefensible for an organization to recognize a film with an award in the first week of March, and then fail to defend its filmmakers just a few weeks later.”
Signatories embody actors Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem, John Cusack and Susan Sarandon, in addition to award-winning administrators Alfonso Cuarón and Jonathan Glazer, who condemned Israel’s ongoing navy offensive in Gaza throughout his personal Oscars speech in 2024.
Leo Correa/Related Press
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Ballal was crushed Monday by Israeli settlers earlier than the navy detained him, two of his fellow administrators and different witnesses instructed The Related Press. Ballal instructed the outlet following his launch Tuesday that he was crushed by Israeli troopers throughout his captivity.
“The targeting of Ballal is not just an attack on one filmmaker — it is an attack on all those who dare to bear witness and tell inconvenient truths,” the open letter acknowledged. “We will continue to watch over this film team … and we will not mince words when the safety of a fellow artist is at stake.”
Wednesday’s assertion from Kramer and Yang instructed that Ballal’s detainment is one thing Academy members may have “many unique viewpoints” on, in keeping with The Hollywood Reporter.
