The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has sent out a statement to its 11,000 members following mounting criticism over its lack of public support for Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” who was recently detained by Israeli forces.
On Friday, the Academy issued a follow-up letter explicitly naming Ballal and apologizing for omitting both him and the film from a statement sent earlier in the week.
“On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, co-director of No Other Land, connected to his artistic expression. We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name,” the letter reads. “We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal and all artists who felt unsupported by our previous statement and want to make it clear that the Academy condemns violence of this kind anywhere in the world. We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances.”
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang signed the message, which demonstrated the organization’s acknowledgment of the magnitude of the outcry from members.
The Academy Board of Governors and top-ranking leadership officials held an emergency meeting Friday morning to discuss their response amid the backlash.
The Academy released a statement Wednesday condemning “harming artists,” but did not name the individuals referenced. By Thursday morning, a letter began circulating among AMPAS members, criticizing leadership’s failure to defend Ballal publicly. As of Friday afternoon, 690 Academy members — including actor Mark Ruffalo, director Ava DuVernay and Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón — had signed the letter condemning the Academy’s silence following Ballal’s reported detainment by Israeli authorities.
“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 reads. “To win an Oscar is not an easy task. Most films in competition are buoyed by wide distribution and exorbitantly priced campaigns… For ‘No Other Land’ to win an Oscar without these advantages speaks to how important the film is to the voting membership. 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 letter drew support from international film organizations and notable Academy members across various branches. In addition to documentary filmmakers such as Alex Gibney, Errol Morris, Laura Poitras, Liz Garbus and Roger Ross Williams, signatories included actors Olivia Colman, Joaquin Phoenix, Riz Ahmed, Penélope Cruz, Emma Thompson, Natasha Lyonne, Javier Bardem, Sandra Hüller, Richard Gere, Andrea Riseborough and Susan Sarandon.
Directors Ava DuVernay, Boots Riley, Todd Haynes, Adam McKay, Jonathan Glazer and Jim Jarmusch also joined the call for accountability.
Ballal was detained earlier this week after what witnesses described as a violent attack by Israeli settlers near his home in the West Bank village of Susiya. He was reportedly assaulted and then taken from an ambulance by Israeli soldiers. Ballal said he was blindfolded and held for 24 hours at an Israeli army base before being released Tuesday.
Speaking to ABC News from a hospital bed, Ballal described fearing for his life during the attack. “They continue attacking me for 15–20 minutes. I bleed from everywhere… I feel pain in every part of my body,” he said. Ballal denied accusations of stone throwing and said the soldiers mocked him, referencing his Oscar win while detaining him.
Despite statements from global film organizations, including the European Film Academy and the International Documentary Association, expressing concern over Ballal’s treatment, the Academy’s own response was limited to a general message sent to members.
“No Other Land” co-director Yuval Abraham called the Academy’s omission “deeply disappointing,” stating on X (formerly Twitter) that internal efforts by members, particularly within the documentary branch, to push for a statement naming Ballal were unsuccessful.
“The Academy had a chance to show courage and solidarity, and it chose silence,” Abraham wrote.
The Oscar-winning “No Other Land” was made by an Israeli-Palestinian team including Abraham, Ballal, Basel Adra and Rachel Szor and chronicles the fight of a Palestinian community in the West Bank facing displacement by Israeli forces. The film premiered at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival, winning both the documentary jury prize and the audience award. Despite widespread acclaim on the festival circuit, it was self-released in the U.S. after distributors declined to pick it up.
Jazz Tangcay also contributed to this story.
