NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� After mounting criticism following its initial response to on Oscar-winning 鈥淣o Other Land鈥� co-director Hamdan Ballal, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences apologized Friday for not acknowledging Ballal by name.
In a letter to academy members, academy CEO Bill Kramer and its president, Janet Yang, said they regretted not issuing a direct statement on Ballal. The director on Monday, witnesses said, was beaten by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and then detained by the Israeli military.
The attack, just weeks after Ballal and his fellow directors won best documentary at the was widely condemned by numerous film organizations, among others. The academy on Wednesday released a statement condemning 鈥渉arming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints."
Yuval Abraham, a journalist and co-director of 鈥淣o Other Land,鈥� was highly critical of that response, comparing it to 鈥渟ilence on Hamdan's assault."
On Friday, more than 600 of the academy's 11,000 members issued an open letter saying the academy's statement "fell far short of the sentiments this moment calls for.鈥� Among the signatories were Joaquin Phoenix, Olivia Colman, Riz Ahmed, Emma Thompson, Javier Bardem, Pen茅lope Cruz and 鈥淭he Zone of Interest鈥� filmmaker Jonathan Glazer.
After a meeting Friday by the academy's board of governors, Kramer and Yang responded with a new statement.
鈥淲e sincerely apologize 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,鈥� they wrote to members. "We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances.鈥�
After being detained for more than 20 hours, by Israeli soldiers. Ballal and two other Palestinians were accused of throwing stones at a settler, allegations they deny. After being released, Ballal told The Associated Press a settler kicked his head 鈥渓ike a football鈥� during an attack on his village.
鈥淚 realized they were attacking me specifically,鈥� Ballal said at a West Bank hospital after his release Tuesday. 鈥淲hen they say 鈥極scar鈥�, you understand. When they say your name, you understand.鈥�
鈥淣o Other Land,鈥� a , chronicles the situation in Masafer Yatta, which the Israeli military designated as a live-fire training zone in the 1980s and ordered the expulsion of the residents, mostly Arab Bedouin. Around 1,000 residents have largely remained in place, but soldiers regularly come in to demolish homes, tents, water tanks and olive orchards.
After not finding a U.S. distributor despite wide acclaim, 鈥淣o Other Land鈥� was self-released in theaters. It still managed to surpass $2 million in North American theaters.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
