Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' scores with Bay Area audiences

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The 2025 Oscar winner for documentary of the year, "No Other Land," has yet to find a major U.S. distributor. Despite that, it's finding its way into independent cinemas across the country, turning into an unlikely box office hit.

According to mTuckman Media, who has been putting the film into theaters, the show is set to cross the $2 million mark in takings across North America since it first opened at the Fil Forum in New York on Jan. 31, 2025.

For perspective, only seven documentaries released in the U.S. grossed over $1 million, with most documentaries grossing under $500,000 in 2024.

In the Bay Area, ticket sales for "No Other Land" are strong, with many theaters extending their showings to meet demand.

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"It's been packing the houses ever since we opened, people just don't stop coming," says Rick Norris, programmer at the Roxie Theatre -- the first to bring the film to San Francisco audiences.

The film "No Other Land" tells the story of a Palestinian town in the West Bank that was bulldozed by the Israeli government for use as a military training zone. It won an Academy Award for best documentary.

"It is unusual for a documentary to get this sort of extended run. And if demand continues to build, we will extend it even longer," says Norris.

A small cinema in the Marina District, the Presidio Movie Theater, reported similar trends. Staff at the theater says the film has been showing for two to three weeks and ticket sales have been good.

Local moviegoers were enthusiastic and curious.

"I want to support the cause, I want to support the filmmakers who put this together and I want to better educate myself," a moviegoer named Arid said.

"I'm here to see 'No Other Land' because of the significance of this movie and to support the cause," Anu Raju Gopal said.

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Many were nervous to speak on camera or be identified.

"It is important for people to be able to tell their story and for us to have access to all the different stories being told, whether you agree or disagree," a moviegoer named Kelly said.

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"There is a ton of fear, especially given the current arrests of people who are making statements and writing on topics and leading the different student movements in the past few days. It's terrifying and wrong and we should be speaking about it even more because of the power in the number of voices, they can't arrest everyone. But it's definitely a chilling effect," Kelly said.

One moviegoer stopped her companion from speaking on camera as she said, "You shouldn't make any comments on anything as you are not a citizen."

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At the Roxie Theater alone, close to 4,500 people have come to see the film and the number is still growing.

"There is a hunger to see this film because it is an Oscar-winning movie. And generally speaking, it's hard to hold films with this kind of profile down. The more they try to not show it, the more people want to see it," Norris said.

"Nothing boosted ticket sales in Miami more than when they tried to shut the cinema down for showing it," he said.

This week, Israeli authorities released Oscar-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal, who was detained by the army after being attacked by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

The incident sparked greater interest in the film.

Before the film won the Academy Award, San Francisco-based Jewish Film Institute (JFI) co-presented "No Other Land" at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco last year, in collaboration with the Arab Film and Media Institute as part of SFFILM's Doc Stories programming.

"'No Other Land' is a rare work made by a collective of both Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers and journalists." Lexi Leban, Executive Director of the Jewish Film Institute, says. "It tells the story of the destruction of Palestinian villages in the West Bank and the unlikely friendship between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist."

JFI wanted to make this film available to Bay Area audiences.

"For 45 years, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival has presented thought-provoking films about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We believe it's important to give audiences an opportunity to see films made by the people who are living there, so they can increase their depth of understanding beyond the headlines." says Leban.