Is Hollywood soft censoring Palestinian art?

It's Been a Minute

NPR

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4.6 • 8.8K Ratings

🗓️ 7 March 2025

⏱️ 19 minutes

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Summary

Last weekend, the Academy Award for Best Documentary went to a film that still lacks a U.S. distribution deal. 'No Other Land' is a powerful look at Palestine's southern West Bank, and has received widespread acclaim. So what's holding it back from being seen in theaters across America?

Brittany is joined by B.A. Parker, co-host of NPR's Code Switch, and professor and television producer Dr. Maytha Alhassen. Together they look at why one of the most critically-praised movies of the year seems to be experiencing a kind of soft censorship.

Plus, in honor of Lady Gaga's new album Mayhem, Brittany shares her favorite Gaga moments.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident.
0:19.7	Okay, everybody, this week you and I are connecting the dots between rotten tomatoes,
0:25.6	Keeper Sutherland, and the Middle East.
0:28.7	I know, I know.
0:30.5	How are all of these things connected?
0:32.6	Well, we're going to find out with the co-host of NPR's Code Switch, B.A. Parker and Dr. Maita al-Hasson, a professor who's
0:39.7	also written and produced for Hulu's hit series, Rami. Parker, Maita, welcome to its
0:45.1	bit a minute. Hello. Hey. All right. Okay, so here's a question for y'all. Which one of you
0:50.5	thinks that you have what it takes to make an Oscar-winning film? Oh, sure.
1:01.6	Listen, I decided when I was watching the Oscars that my lane is going to be short animated film.
1:02.4	I love that.
1:04.5	I have a master's in screenwriter.
1:06.6	Listen, I have an undergraduate degree in film.
1:07.2	Do you see me?
1:14.7	Why don't we make it a movie right now? Well, that kind of independent filmmaker empowerment was on full display at last weekend's
1:20.0	Academy Awards.
1:21.2	Many of the top prizes went to indie films, from the Best Picture Winner, Anora, to the
1:26.1	first ever independent film to win Best Animated Feature.
1:30.5	And finally, the subject of today's show, the winner for Best Documentary Feature.
1:36.6	And the Oscar goes to.
1:38.8	The self-produced documentary, No Other Land.
1:43.6	Really quick, No Other Land is a documentary about Palestinian activist Basil Adra and his community of Masafariata in the West Bank.
	...

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