Is Hollywood soft censoring Palestinian art?

NPR | By Brittany Luse,

B.A. Parker, Barton Girdwood, Corey Bridges, Neena Pathak

Published March 7, 2025 at 9:39 AM EST

'No Other Land' wins Best Documentary at the 2025 Oscars

Last weekend, the Academy Award for Best Documentary went to a film that still lacks a U.S. distribution deal. 'No Other Land' is a powerful look at Palestine's southern West Bank, and has received widespread acclaim. So what's holding it back from being seen in theaters across America?

Brittany is joined by B.A. Parker, co-host of NPR's Code Switch, and professor and television producer Dr. Maytha Alhassen. Together they look at why one of the most critically-praised movies of the year seems to be experiencing a kind of soft censorship.

Plus, in honor of Lady Gaga's new album Mayhem, Brittany shares her favorite Gaga moments.

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Brittany Luse

Brittany Luse is an award-winning journalist, on-air host, and cultural critic. She is the host of It's Been a Minute and For Colored Nerds. Previously Luse hosted The Nod and Sampler podcasts, and co-hosted and executive produced The Nod with Brittany and Eric, a daily streaming show. She's written for Vulture and Harper's Bazaar, among others, and edited for the podcasts Planet Money and Not Past It. Luse and her work have been profiled by publications like The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vulture, and Teen Vogue.

B.A. Parker

Barton Girdwood

Corey Bridges

Corey Bridges is an assistant producer at NPR's daily economics podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money. Bridges enjoys covering stories ranging from public policy to the economics of sports. At The Indicator, he has worked on stories about how certain environmental regulations can impede climate progress and others about how college athletes are taking advantage of their name, image and likeness.

Neena Pathak