A recent screening of the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' in Quezon City brought together film enthusiasts and advocates, featuring special guest Zahra Bianca al-Jaber Saldua. The Filipino-Palestinian TV host and beauty queen shared her gratitude for the growing solidarity shown by Filipinos towards the Palestinian community.
The film, which took home the Best Documentary Feature award at this year's Oscars in March, highlights the ongoing situation faced by Palestinians. Saldua remarked that the increased attention helps the Palestinian narrative gain visibility, stating, "Palestinians have finally been heard because this has been happening since 1948... it will signify already 76 years of occupation," referencing the historical Nakba.
'No Other Land' closely follows the journey of Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham. Their collaboration documents the forced displacement of Adra's community in Masafer Yatta, located in the West Bank, offering a stark look at the realities on the ground.
Reflecting on the documentary's portrayal, Saldua observed the everyday struggles depicted. She drew a parallel between the resilience of Palestinians and Filipinos, noting, "Palestinians are very much like Filipinos, we are very resilient." Despite the hardships, she highlighted their capacity for finding joy and celebrating small victories.
With relatives in Tulkarem in the West Bank and her brother having been in Palestine just before the October 7, 2023 attacks, Saldua spoke from a place of personal connection to the ongoing conflict, which has tragically resulted in a significant loss of life.
Calling the positive reception of the film in the Philippines a "huge step," Saldua emphasized the critical role documentaries play in shedding light on the complex situation in Gaza and the West Bank. She expressed hope that more Filipinos would continue to engage with such impactful stories.
The screening event itself, organized by the Filipino Documentary Society (FilDocs) under their 'Basta Dokyu' initiative, saw an unexpectedly high level of interest. Filmmaker Monster Jimenez of FilDocs shared their surprise at the rapid registration, which quickly exceeded the venue's capacity and prompted the scheduling of a second screening.
This showing of 'No Other Land' marks the beginning of FilDocs' quarterly Basta Dokyu project, building on the foundation of the 2020 Daang Dokyu festival. The initiative aims to bring more significant international documentaries to Filipino audiences, with plans to screen other acclaimed films like 'Porcelain War' and 'Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat' in the future.
While the Basta Dokyu screenings are offered free of charge, FilDocs welcomes donations from attendees to support the continuation of their project and their mission to showcase important documentary films.
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