The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is under fire for a statement it issued following the brutal assault and detention of Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land. Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker, was beaten by settlers in the occupied West Bank and subsequently detained by Israeli forces earlier this week. The Academy’s letter, signed by CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang, made no mention of Ballal, the film, or the incident, reported IndieWire.
Instead, the statement, emailed to members of the Academy on Wednesday, broadly condemned “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints.” It also emphasised the Academy’s role in representing its nearly 11,000 members, who hold “many unique viewpoints.” The letter framed the organisation as committed to storytelling and empathy but avoided addressing Ballal’s ordeal directly.
Moreover, the statement failed to acknowledge the specific circumstances prompting its release, instead describing a “time of profound change, marked by conflict and uncertainty.” Kramer and Yang emphasised that the Academy’s focus is on celebrating creative voices and supporting artists’ freedom to create and imagine. “We remain steadfast in this work,” they concluded, “and we are grateful to walk alongside each of you in it.”
A vague and polarising response
The Academy’s reluctance to explicitly name Ballal or No Other Land drew immediate backlash. Co-director Yuval Abraham, who had earlier accused the Academy of “declining to publicly support Hamdan while he was beaten and tortured,” shared the letter on X (formerly Twitter). “After our criticism, the Academy’s leaders sent out this email to members explaining their silence: they need to respect ‘unique viewpoints,'” he wrote.
For Abraham, the response was woefully inadequate. He noted that Ballal, targeted for his involvement in the Oscar-winning documentary, was also victimised for his identity as a Palestinian. In an earlier post on X (formerly Twitter), Abraham noted, “soldiers joked about the Oscar as they tortured him,” illustrating how Ballal’s art and activism intertwined with his treatment.
Over 190 Academy members, including high-profile figures like Boots Riley and Mark Ruffalo, signed a letter condemning the Academy’s inaction. “It is indefensible for an organisation to recognise a film with an award in the first week of March and then fail to defend its filmmakers just a few weeks later,” the letter read.
The International Documentary Association and numerous film critics’ groups also expressed their support for Ballal, highlighting the risks documentary filmmakers face to expose inconvenient truths. In a separate petition, filmmakers and artists including Ava DuVernay and Guy Pearce demanded stronger action and protections for Ballal and his colleagues.
Ballal’s release on Tuesday came after significant public pressure and media coverage of the incident. Speaking to ABC News, he denied allegations of throwing stones, a charge levied by Israeli authorities. “The settlers came attacking me and beating me. That’s it,” he said, describing the assault that left him with head and stomach injuries.
Troubling precedent
The Academy’s tepid response stands in sharp contrast to its previous outspokenness on issues involving the suppression of filmmakers. Abraham noted the disparity in how the Academy responded to attacks on Iranian filmmakers compared to its silence regarding Ballal. “This, it seems, gave the Academy an excuse to remain silent when a filmmaker they honoured, living under Israeli occupation, needed them the most,” Abraham stated.
Critics argue that the Academy’s approach undermines its own values of storytelling and empathy. In a Facebook post, documentary branch member AJ Schnack blasted the statement, saying it was “bad in ways that boggle the mind.” Kathleen McInnis, another member, lamented the lack of leadership, writing, “Journalists and filmmakers need protection and support, not watered-down words.”
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