On Wednesday, AMPAS released a statement condemning the suppression of artistic voices but failed to mention Ballal by name. This vague response did not sit well with many.
Image Source: X
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has found itself at the center of a controversy after initially failing to name Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal in a statement addressing his recent detention by Israeli forces.
The backlash from industry figures was swift, leading the Academy to issue an apology.
Advertisement
Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary ‘No Other Land’, reportedly faced assault and detention by Israeli police earlier this week in the West Bank village of Susiya—his hometown.
Advertisement
The documentary, which won an Academy Award, tells the harrowing story of a Palestinian family facing displacement due to Israeli government actions.
According to co-director Yuval Abraham, Ballal was injured, zip-tied, blindfolded, and released the next day. The incident sparked international outrage, with many calling for a strong response from the Academy.
On Wednesday, AMPAS released a statement condemning the suppression of artistic voices but failed to mention Ballal by name. This vague response did not sit well with many, including Oscar voters and Hollywood heavyweights.
By Thursday, a letter signed by nearly 600 Academy members—including Ava DuVernay, Olivia Colman, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, and Emma Thompson—began circulating, criticizing the Academy for its silence.
The letter, updated on Friday, pointed out the hypocrisy of honoring a filmmaker with an Oscar in March but failing to stand by him just weeks later.
Facing mounting pressure, the Academy issued a follow-up statement on Friday explicitly naming Ballal and acknowledging its mistake.
“We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and ‘No Other Land’ in our initial statement. We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal and all artists who felt unsupported,” wrote AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang. “The Academy condemns violence of this kind anywhere in the world and abhors the suppression of free speech under any circumstances.”
Many in Hollywood have expressed concern over the dangers faced by Ballal and his team. The open letter signed by industry figures stressed that the targeting of Ballal is an attack on all filmmakers who dare to document difficult truths.
“Winning an Oscar has put their lives in increasing danger, and we will not mince words when the safety of fellow artists is at stake,” the letter read.
Advertisement
