Dr. Maytha Alhassen

Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. Okay, everybody, this week, you and I are connecting the dots between Rotten Tomatoes, Kiefer Sutherland, and the Middle East. I know, I know. How are all of these things connected?

Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. Okay, everybody, this week, you and I are connecting the dots between Rotten Tomatoes, Kiefer Sutherland, and the Middle East. I know, I know. How are all of these things connected?

Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. Okay, everybody, this week, you and I are connecting the dots between Rotten Tomatoes, Kiefer Sutherland, and the Middle East. I know, I know. How are all of these things connected?

Well, we're going to find out with the co-host of NPR's Code Switch, B.A. Parker, and Dr. Mehta Alhassan, a professor who's also written and produced for Hulu's hit series, Rami. Parker, Mehta, welcome to It's Been a Minute. Hello. Hey. All right. Okay, so here's a question for y'all. Which one of you thinks that you have what it takes to make an Oscar-winning film?

Well, we're going to find out with the co-host of NPR's Code Switch, B.A. Parker, and Dr. Mehta Alhassan, a professor who's also written and produced for Hulu's hit series, Rami. Parker, Mehta, welcome to It's Been a Minute. Hello. Hey. All right. Okay, so here's a question for y'all. Which one of you thinks that you have what it takes to make an Oscar-winning film?

Well, we're going to find out with the co-host of NPR's Code Switch, B.A. Parker, and Dr. Mehta Alhassan, a professor who's also written and produced for Hulu's hit series, Rami. Parker, Mehta, welcome to It's Been a Minute. Hello. Hey. All right. Okay, so here's a question for y'all. Which one of you thinks that you have what it takes to make an Oscar-winning film?

I love that. I have a master's in screenwriting. Listen, I have an undergraduate degree in film. Do you see me?

I love that. I have a master's in screenwriting. Listen, I have an undergraduate degree in film. Do you see me?

I love that. I have a master's in screenwriting. Listen, I have an undergraduate degree in film. Do you see me?

Well, that kind of independent filmmaker empowerment was on full display at last weekend's Academy Awards. Many of the top prizes went to indie films, from the Best Picture winner, Onora, to the first ever independent film to win Best Animated Feature, Flow. And finally, the subject of today's show, the winner for Best Documentary Feature.

Well, that kind of independent filmmaker empowerment was on full display at last weekend's Academy Awards. Many of the top prizes went to indie films, from the Best Picture winner, Onora, to the first ever independent film to win Best Animated Feature, Flow. And finally, the subject of today's show, the winner for Best Documentary Feature.

Well, that kind of independent filmmaker empowerment was on full display at last weekend's Academy Awards. Many of the top prizes went to indie films, from the Best Picture winner, Onora, to the first ever independent film to win Best Animated Feature, Flow. And finally, the subject of today's show, the winner for Best Documentary Feature.

The self-produced documentary.

The self-produced documentary.

The self-produced documentary.

Really quick, No Other Land is a documentary about Palestinian activist Basil Adra and his community of Masafaryada in the West Bank. Thank you to the Academy for the award. And in the film, Masafaryada is being demolished by Israeli forces to make way for a military training ground, driving many Palestinians out of their homes and villages.

Really quick, No Other Land is a documentary about Palestinian activist Basil Adra and his community of Masafaryada in the West Bank. Thank you to the Academy for the award. And in the film, Masafaryada is being demolished by Israeli forces to make way for a military training ground, driving many Palestinians out of their homes and villages.

Really quick, No Other Land is a documentary about Palestinian activist Basil Adra and his community of Masafaryada in the West Bank. Thank you to the Academy for the award. And in the film, Masafaryada is being demolished by Israeli forces to make way for a military training ground, driving many Palestinians out of their homes and villages.

So Basel decides to document the expulsion on the ground, hoping to share it with the world and bring an end to the violence that his community is facing every day. And also I'll say there's a really good chance that you, yes, you listening, have not seen this movie.

So Basel decides to document the expulsion on the ground, hoping to share it with the world and bring an end to the violence that his community is facing every day. And also I'll say there's a really good chance that you, yes, you listening, have not seen this movie.