MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — The mayor of Miami Beach is seeking to end a lease and halt funding to an independent film theater that screened an Oscar-winning documentary highlighting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Mayor Steven Meiner has proposed a resolution labeling the film “No Other Land” as antisemitic. The city commissioners will review this proposal in their upcoming meeting on Wednesday.
The film premiered at O Cinema, which is stationed at the Miami Beach Historic City Hall, last Friday. Days preceding the opening, Meiner had approached Vivian Marthell, O Cinema’s CEO, urging her to cancel the screening.
In correspondence with Marthell, Meiner expressed, “The City of Miami Beach houses one of the largest Jewish populations in America. This film is a biased propaganda attack on Jewish communities, conflicting with the values our city holds.”
Although Marthell initially agreed with Meiner to not showcase the film, the screening proceeded as planned. As of Thursday, no comment was received from Marthell regarding an email inquiry.
Previously, Miami Beach awarded O Cinema grants totaling around $80,000 in December and January, as detailed in the mayor’s proposed resolution. About half of these funds have been distributed, but Meiner’s resolution aims to stop further payments. O Cinema has leased its current venue from the city since 2019, a contract that allows termination with a 180-day notice, which Meiner now seeks to enact.
Directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor, “No Other Land” was filmed between 2019 and 2023, premiering last year. The film highlights the Israeli military’s razing of Palestinian villages in the West Bank, winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
While praised by many critics, the film has sparked considerable debate. Abraham remarked in an email, “It’s alarming when accusations of antisemitism are wielded to stifle the voices of Israelis and Palestinians coalescing against occupation and apartheid for justice.”
Despite its acclaim, the film has faced backlash, with Israeli culture minister Miki Zohar supporting the mayor’s stance by stating on social media that “freedom of speech is crucial, yet depicting Israel derogatorily for global propaganda isn’t artistic expression.”
