Basel Adra, the Palestinian co-director and central figure of the Oscar-winning No Other Land, is an activist. He states that early in the film: “I’m an activist,” he says. "I’ve been an activist nearly my entire life.”
That’s a key distinction, even if he doesn’t lay it out. What he’s really saying is this: He’s an activist, not a revolutionary.
The difference is important. A revolutionary wants to upend the powers that be. An activist doesn’t – they want to change policy. And an oft-necessary part of activism is compromise – changing minds and building bridges to expand one’s coalition.
No Other Land, is, inherently, an act of compromise. It’s an Israeli-Palestinian co-production, with Adra co-directing along with Palestinian Hamdan Ballal (who was recently beaten and detained, sparking global outcry) and Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.
Much of the film is made up of Adra's personal footage, using his camera as a shield to document the potential atrocities of Israeli settlers and military as he and his relatives try to protect their small Palestinian village of Masafer Yatta from destruction.
But the Israeli involvement in this Palestinian story is not incidental or merely behind the scenes. Throughout the film, Abraham is a key on-screen figure, first as a journalist for the liberal Israeli +972 Magazine, there to write about the town, but quickly entrenches himself further.
Abraham and Adra become fast friends, with Abraham using his privilege as an Israeli to protect the Palestinians from harm, and to stop their homes from being destroyed by the seemingly never-ending fleet of bulldozers.
The constant scenes of Adra and Abraham stick out, each having a decidedly different tone and feel to the footage shot with their lives on the line. And in them, it becomes clear who this film is for: liberally minded people around the world who haven’t engaged with the Palestinian struggle, probably with sympathy for Israel. For those viewers, Abraham is their point-of-view character, someone they can trust to tell them right from wrong.
At times, the dynamic between the two feels like mismatched partners in a buddy action film. In one scene, Abraham complains that his most recent article didn’t get enough views. Adra calls him enthusiastic – an admirable trait that lacks the patience needed for this kind of activism. “This has been going on for decades,” Adra says. In other moments, Abraham acts as Adra's biggest supporter when he’s losing hope. Sometimes, the two just banter over shisha to ease the pain.
Ultimately, whether by design or not, Abraham's inclusion keeps the aim of the film small. No Other Land is not trying to change everything – it’s picking one specific wrong: to protect the people of villages in the Palestinian countryside and preserve their way of life.
As Abraham himself puts it, the preservation of Palestinian dignity is the only way to keep Israelis safe.
This is the same perspective once proffered by the Israeli general Moshe Dayan in his autobiography Story of My Life – so close that it seems that Abraham is quoting him.
Dayan is partly responsible for the current paradigm, and was against a Palestinian state, but he was for the preservation of Palestinian dignity purely in Israel’s interest – knowing that unrest is inevitable if quality of life is not ensured.
But in the current climate, even a liberal Israeli position is unacceptable to those who oppose it. Around the world, the film has been widely denounced. Some political figures have tried to censor it, and it has been shunned by studios.
Why so much opposition? Because it’s powerful. Its stance is so iron-clad that nary a person with a heart could watch it and not see the obvious wrong, regardless of where their allegiances lie. See No Other Land, and something chronically called “complicated” becomes simple.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
And once that door is open, it’s nearly impossible to close. I, once, had that door opened for me by a similar film. As a teenager growing up in the US, I borrowed Hany Abu-Assad’s Paradise Now from the video store where I worked. It was a film with an Israeli producer, which I initially heard about because of its Oscar nomination. That film led me towards a path of self-education – and changed my life.
For those who already support the Palestinian cause, I cannot call this film a must-see. But if they’re looking for a film to show the people in their lives who still remain sceptical, there’s few better picks than this. It’s an entry point – flawed but potent.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
The%20Crown%20season%205
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EImelda%20Staunton%2C%20Jonathan%20Pryce%2C%20Lesley%20Manville%2C%20Jonny%20Lee%20Miller%2C%20Dominic%20West%2C%20Elizabeth%20Debicki%2C%20Salim%20Daw%20and%20Khalid%20Abdalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWritten%20by%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPeter%20Morgan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%20stars%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Freezer tips
- Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
- Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Scoreline
Australia 2-1 Thailand
Australia: Juric 69', Leckie 86'
Thailand: Pokklaw 82'
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
