At the 13th Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF), running from November 7 to 10 in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, two Palestinian films, No Other Land and From Ground Zero were removed from the lineup due to unresolved permissions.
From Ground Zero, directed by 22 Palestinian filmmakers, is a powerful anthology comprising 22 short films spanning documentary, fiction, animation, and experimental genres that vividly portray life and resilience under ongoing Israeli violence in Gaza.
Meanwhile, No Other Land, a verite style documentary directed over five years by Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, captures the impact of Israeli demolitions in Masafer Yatta, a cluster of Palestinian villages in the West Bank. With footage documenting the demolition of homes and forced displacement, the film explores the human cost of occupation while highlighting Adra and Abraham’s unlikely friendship and shared activism.
Both films have been recognised at international festivals, including the Berlinale and NYFF62, for their impactful narratives and commitment to depicting the Palestinian experience under Israeli occupation.
The cancellation has made discussion about the challenges faced by Palestinian filmmakers and the political sensitivities surrounding screenings of such works at global festivals.
, running from November 7 to 10 in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, two Palestinian film were removed from the lineup due to unresolved permissions.){kind=link}