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This past March, two documentaries exploring the consequences of the 7 October 2023 attacks reached theaters within days of each other. The first, named “October 8”, focused on the “emergence of antisemitism on college campuses, on online platforms and on the streets” after Hamas forces killed more than 1,200 people in southern Israel, the majority being non-combatants. This documentary, executive-produced by a prominent celebrity, was widely released by an independent distribution studio that has also handled a Trump biopic and a documentary on Jamal Khashoggi. Promotion for the film occurred on popular TV shows, and it ultimately earned more than $1.3m domestically, a high total for a political documentary.

Meanwhile, the second documentary, The Encampments, encountered greater obstacles. A documentary on campus protests against the retaliatory actions in of Gaza, partly centered on activist Mahmoud Khalil – who was later detained by federal authorities for his advocacy – got no support from famous TV hosts. Its specialty release at a NYC cinema led to threats of violence, an incident of vandalism in the theater’s lobby and removal of ads online. That it was released at all – and earned $80,000 in its debut weekend, a significant win for the independent film market – is thanks to Watermelon Pictures, an upstart, Palestinian-American founded film funding and release firm founded by brothers Hamza and Badie Ali to support movies presenting Palestinian views find viewers they otherwise would not, in a market that has historically overlooked or marginalized such stories.

‘A chilling effect’: is Hollywood too scared to touch hot-button documentaries?

The two documentaries evince the different landscapes for stories from Israel and Palestine in the US – one concentrated and frequently supported by more mainstream institutions, the other fractured and less organized, yet growing. The two-year anniversary of the 7 October attacks highlights this disparity even more – this weekend marks the limited release of “The Road Between Us”, a documentary tracking a retired Israeli general’s efforts to save his son’s family from Hamas forces on 7 October. A gripping thriller-like story of survival, trauma and mourning that omits the subsequent fatalities of at least 66,000 Palestinians in response, this documentary received support from well-known figures and won the People’s Choice Award for top documentary at a prestigious cinema event. US distribution rights were quickly snapped up by a media company.

It is challenging to get any controversial, politically charged movie financed, let alone released in the United States, particularly during the current political climate. But movies presenting Palestinian viewpoints, or films challenging the narrative of a government that has turned the horrors of 7 October into a tool for conflict justifying an internationally recognized genocide in the region, have found it particularly difficult, occasionally unfeasible, to connect with viewers. “I’ve never made a film about Palestine that’s ever been distributed,” said one director, the director of Coexistence, My Ass!, a documentary about an comedian from Israel reexamining her past as “the symbolic figure for the peace efforts between Israelis and Palestinians” in the aftermath of the near-complete destruction of Gaza.

After a successful festival circuit, the filmmaker, who is of Lebanese and Canadian descent, had aspirations for a release agreement for their documentary. “We believed that there could be a chance that the film could break through just based on the comedian’s distinct outlook – it’s such a unique way of looking at the situation,” the director said. But deals never worked out; the team ultimately opted for a self-release strategy beginning soon, handled by the same company that arranged another film’s self-release recently. That film, a powerful non-fiction work by an collaborative group about long-standing struggles to fight against occupation in a Palestinian village, won a Oscar award under difficult circumstances for outstanding documentary; weeks later, local settlers severely beat a film-maker, who was then arrested by military personnel reportedly ridiculing the prize. It remains unavailable for streaming in the United States but made more than $2.5m at the US box office (making it the top-earning of the Oscar-nominated documentaries this year).

‘We must act’: The firm distributing Palestinian films others avoid

Another film, “All That’s Left of You”, a sweeping epic on multiple generations of a family from Palestine forced from their home in 1948, also looked for a distributor after a strong festival run, but faced hesitation from distribution companies over the “content theme”. “We were optimistic that a major distributor would come through,” said the Palestinian American director. One conversation with an unnamed company concluded, according to the director, with a rejection, referencing too many films. “That’s exactly what they said to another Palestinian movie that debuted recently at a film festival. It seems like political cowardice,” she said.

The truth, according to Watermelon co-founder, is that “there are not a lot of distributors that are going to back Palestinian cinema”. Major streaming companies have avoided involvement. But a prominent studio recently purchased the international streaming rights to Red Alert, a scripted mini-series produced in part by an Israeli production fund, which portrays the October 7th events on Israel that, according to the description, “transformed southern Israel into a conflict area, challenging human decency and forging heroism through turmoil”. The company leader touted the series as proof of the company’s “continued commitment to narrative art through artistic excellence and accuracy”. And another platform secured the American rights for “One Day in October”, a scripted series inspired by first-hand accounts of the incident that will debut on its second anniversary.

At the same time, “I believe a solitary Palestinian movie has ever gotten wide release in the US”, said the director, who has since formed her own distribution company, a new company, in response to the obstacles. “No one’s really been willing to take a risk on proving that these films could be seen widely.”

“It is regrettable that we have not received that equivalent backing,” said the co-founder. “Not a single film has been picked up by a major streaming service.” Nevertheless, “the industry is definitely shifting”, he said, pointing to the recent commitment signed by more than 3,900 prominent entertainment figures to avoid collaboration with Israeli cinema organizations “associated with severe human rights issues” against Palestinians, adding: “However, it appears, sadly, like the streamers are not following suit.” (Several celebrities were among those who signed a rebuke calling the pledge a “source of falsehoods”; several cited Israel’s Oscar submission of The Sea, a movie concerning a young Palestinian who attempts to go to the beach for the first occasion but is refused access at a checkpoint. Interestingly, the national film awards is under threat of funding cuts after The Sea won the top prize.)

An emerging trend of Palestinian-led, challenging films is starting to gain momentum even without major corporate backing – the distribution company signed on to distribute the aforementioned epic, Jordan’s official submission to the Academy Awards, which will begin its limited theatrical release in the coming year; well-known stars joined as executive producers. The company also represents the Palestinian entry for the Oscars, multi-generational story Palestine 36, and is a producer on The Voice of Hind Rajab, which received critical acclaim and a major award at the Venice Film Festival; this movie, which recreates the death of a young child in the region with her actual recordings, will be released across Europe by a sales company, and has {yet to find|not