It’s easy to look at war from 30,000 feet, or from the other side of the globe. It can seem so cut and dried, black and white.

But when you are put in the middle of the conflict, it takes on the kind of nuance that only interpersonal relationships can bring to a situation. Oscar winning documentary No Other Land, now playing at Robinson Film Center, takes just that kind of granular look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Basel Adra comes from a family of Palestinian activists living in the West Bank villages of Masafer Yatta. From an early age, he filmed attempts by the Israeli army to drive the Palestinians out of the land. In the film he shares his memories of his father being arrested for leading protests, and now Basel is taking on a leadership role.

Yuval Abraham is an Israeli journalist sent to cover the conflict in Masafer Yatta. He meets Basel, and they form an alliance, and even a friendship, as they work together to shed light on the situation in the West Bank.

No Other Land is a unique opportunity to take a look behind the headlines that frame and shape our Western understanding to see that beyond the struggle for control, there are very real struggles to survive. And maybe even an opportunity to co-exist.

- Scott “Scooter” Anderson, Scooter Anderson Communications