Wednesday morning at a Madrid hotel. Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra, an Oscar winner for the documentary No Other Land, turned 30 on Monday after waiting hours in queues at border crossings and passing through checkpoints (“It’s inhuman, it’s another tool against Palestinians,” he says) in order to take part in the Ministerial Conference, co-organized by the ministries of culture of Spain and Palestine, which opened at the Museo del Prado on the afternoon of July 15 and where more than 30 international delegations will sign a declaration for the reconstruction of Palestinian culture. Thanks to his statuette and the trajectory of his film, Adra is one of the most visible faces among artists inside and outside his country, and he still lives in the village where he was born, Al Tuwani, a hamlet in Masafer Yatta, a harsh area of the southern West Bank depicted in his film. “They recognize me at every Israeli checkpoint, that scares me,” he explains. Serious — although he will smile when soccer or his 18-month-old daughter is mentioned — and accompanied by his wife, Adra sits down to talk. He makes only one request: that the chosen table be in the quietest area because he speaks softly and in a low voice.

Q. Do you feel Spain supports the Palestinian cause? A. Absolutely. Both the government and ordinary people. For example, I remember a footballer did something small with a flag and caused a huge stir [he is referring to Lamine Yamal, who waved a Palestinian flag in May during FC Barcelona’s victory parade after winning La Liga]. Israeli ministers and officials had to comment on it, which drew even more attention. Q. Europe is more hesitant… A. We hope Spain doesn’t change because, you know, in Europe and other countries it’s easy to get support at first, but after a while the government changes or people within the government itself — as has happened in Sweden — change their minds and stop supporting the cause or even turn against it. The Israeli lobby always finds a way to influence official policies.

Q. Very few Hollywood stars, such as Javier Bardem or Mark Ruffalo, have dared to support Palestine. Do you understand that fear? A. I don’t think this happens only in Hollywood. It happens in many other places around the world. People fear for their jobs, for their income, for their positions. They’re afraid of losing their work and, in other places, of course they fear for their safety. The Israeli regime has the backing of powerful regimes around the world; governments with great wealth and power that, in my view, lack moral standing. That’s why it’s understandable that people fear for their safety and salaries. We greatly value those who speak out against what is happening, and we always encourage others to overcome that fear and join the cause. However, it’s striking how fear takes hold of people who work in the film industry. They control your voice; they condition what you’re allowed to say and which topics you can make films about. Or even which films you can watch. For example, our film still hasn’t secured distribution in the United States.

Q. With Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu in charge, can one still be optimistic about the future of Palestinians? A. No, and regarding Israelis, it’s not only Netanyahu, the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, or the settlers. Netanyahu, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir were elected by the people, and I believe they represent the majority of Israelis. For me, the problem is Israeli society. Even before [the Hamas-led attacks on] October 7 we lived under occupation, but Israelis in Tel Aviv lived their normal lives; the money from their taxes went to the settlers, to the settlements, and to the army, which killed Palestinians, although in smaller numbers than after October 7. But they do not see us as human beings. That’s why they accept the occupation and cannot claim ignorance; we live in the same territory and they cannot say they didn’t know what was happening. And now I think they have reached their worst moment in terms of racism and tolerance of the crimes committed against us Palestinians. So I don’t think change will come through elections in Israel or the United States.