The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued a formal apology to its members, expressing regret for its initial response to the assault and apprehension of Hamdan Ballal, the co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land. Ballal, a Palestinian filmmaker, was attacked by Israeli settlers in his hometown of Susiya in the West Bank. Following the assault, he was detained by the Israeli military.
Israeli director Yuval Abraham, who collaborated with Ballal on No Other Land, brought the incident to public attention via a post on X. He reported that Ballal had been beaten by settlers and subsequently taken into custody by Israeli soldiers. Abraham stated that, while Ballal was set free the subsequent day, he sustained stomach and head injuries.
In response to the incident, The Academy's heads Bill Kramer and Janet Yang made a statement that drew immediate criticism. The statement, issued on Wednesday, alluded to the attack and arrest but refrained from naming Ballal, suggesting that Academy members would hold "many unique viewpoints" on the matter. This response was widely perceived as inadequate and lacking in support for the filmmaker.
Numerous Oscar voters and members of the documentary branch voiced their disapproval, leading Kramer and Yang to issue a revised statement. In this new statement, the Academy acknowledged its error, writing, "We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name."
The Academy went on to offer a direct apology to Ballal and all artists who felt let down by the initial response. "We sincerely apologise to Mr Ballal and all artists who felt unsupported by our previous statement and want to make it clear that the Academy condemns violence of this kind anywhere in the world," the statement read. "We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances."
The incident involving Ballal has sparked a broader conversation within the film industry about the protection of artists and the role of The Academy in addressing such issues. The apology marks an attempt from the organisation to rectify its initial handling of the situation and reaffirm its commitment to supporting filmmakers globally.
