‘Cinematic miracle’ shot amid Gaza genocide shortlisted for 2025 Oscars
‘From Ground Zero’ tells real-life stories from an ongoing genocide through the lenses of 22 Gaza filmmakers.
Being shortlisted for the Oscars means a film has made it into a preliminary selection in specific categories, placing them one step closer to a nomination. / Photo: Watermelon Pictures
A Palestinian movie titled ‘From Ground Zero’ has been shortlisted for the 2025 Oscars, making the list for the best international film award at the 97th Academy Awards as Palestine’s official entry.
The film was acquired by Watermelon Pictures, a Palestinian-owned independent film distribution, production, and financing company spearheaded by fashion designer Alana Hadid.
The nearly two-hour-long production weaves together 22 short films shot by filmmakers in Gaza since the beginning of 2024, during Israel’s ongoing war, “using whatever tools they could pull from the rubble of their homes and cities,” as described by executive director Michael Moore.
Just saw From Ground Zero. There is humor and hope, but you will watch the entire thing with your stomach in knots, wondering how many of the people on screen are even still alive. It’s a difficult watch. I highly recommend it. pic.twitter.com/wTflYDSZTX
— Mayor of Nilbog, Esq. (@nilbogdotgov) January 3, 2025
The collection features a blend of animation, documentary, and fiction, all telling stories of a life interrupted by Israel’s genocidal war on the besieged Palestinian enclave, serving as “a remarkable reflection of how art can thrive even in the darkest times,” as described by Watermelon Pictures.
“The fact that this film exists at all is a human and cinematic miracle.”
Being shortlisted for the Oscars means a film has made it into a preliminary selection in specific categories, placing them one step closer to a nomination.
After this, the process involves voting by Academy members to select the final nominees.
Once nominees are announced, all Academy members vote to determine the winners, with results revealed live during the prestigious awards ceremony.
The two other Palestinian films shortlisted for the awards include “An Orange from Jaffa,” a film about a young Palestinian desperately searching for a taxi to cross an Israeli checkpoint, competing in the Live Action Short Film category, as well as “No Other Land,” created by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, which documents the destruction of Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank by Israeli soldiers.
🎥 Today, I got to watch From Ground Zero, Palestine's official Oscars entry.
— Mai El-Sadany (@maitelsadany) January 5, 2025
Whatever you do, don't miss the chance to watch this masterpiece. It'll devastate you beyond what you can imagine, while grounding you in the humanity of the people of Gaza. pic.twitter.com/vLCIybihAZ
The final award nominations are set to be revealed on January 17, with the ceremony scheduled for March 2.
The announcement comes as Israel's relentless war continues into its second year, which has by far led to the loss of more than 45,000 Palestinian lives since early October 2023.
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