Which documentary won Best Documentary Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards?

The documentary that earned the coveted Best Documentary Feature award at the 2025 Academy Awards was "No Other Land." This impactful film, a collaborative effort by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of filmmakers—Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor—captured the prestigious Oscar at the 97th Academy Awards ceremony held on March 2, 2025. Its victory was a significant moment, marking it as the first Palestinian film to win an Academy Award.

"No Other Land" delves into the ongoing struggle of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, a region in the occupied West Bank, as they face forced displacement by the Israeli military. Filmed between 2019 and 2023, the documentary chronicles the systematic destruction of homes and the community's steadfast resistance against the designation of their land as an Israeli military firing zone. A central and compelling aspect of the film is the remarkable alliance formed between Basel Adra, a young Palestinian activist, and Yuval Abraham, an Israeli journalist. Their developing friendship, set against a backdrop of profound inequality in their daily lives, offers a powerful lens through which to view the complex realities of the region.

The film's themes resonate deeply, exploring the intrinsic connection between land and identity, the intergenerational nature of the struggle, and the profound power of resistance through documentation and artistic expression. Prior to its Oscar win, "No Other Land" garnered critical acclaim, including the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film and the Berlinale Documentary Film Award at the 74th Berlin (Review) International Film Festival, where it premiered in February 2024. Its recognition at the Academy Awards underscored its urgent message about resilience and the vital role of storytelling in advocating for justice.