MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) 鈥 The mayor of Miami Beach, Florida, wants to terminate a lease and cut financial support for an independent film theater that screened an Oscar-winning documentary about the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.
Mayor Steven Meiner introduced a resolution describing the film 鈥淣o Other Land鈥 as antisemitic. City commissioners will discuss the resolution Wednesday during their next meeting.
鈥淣o Other Land鈥 opened last Friday at O Cinema, located at the Miami Beach Historic City Hall. Meiner had reached out several days before the premiere to discourage O Cinema CEO Vivian Marthell from showing the film.
鈥淭he City of Miami Beach has one of the highest concentrations of Jewish residents in the United States,鈥 Meiner said in his letter to Marthell. 鈥淭he 鈥楴o Other Land鈥 film is a one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people that is not consistent with the values of our City and residents.鈥
Marthell initially agreed not to screen the movie in a response to Meiner, but the showing went on as scheduled.
鈥淢y initial reaction to Mayor Meiner鈥檚 threats was made under duress,鈥 Marthell said in a email Thursday. 鈥淎fter reflecting on the broader implications for free speech and O Cinema鈥檚 mission, I (along with the O Cinema board and staff members) agreed it was critical to screen this acclaimed film.鈥
O Cinema has always been committed to sharing films that not only entertain, but also challenge, educate and inspire meaningful dialogue, Marthell said.
鈥淲e understand the power of cinema to tell stories that matter, and we recognize that some stories 鈥 especially those rooted in real-world conflicts 鈥 can evoke strong feelings and passionate reactions. As they should,鈥 Marthell said. 鈥淥ur decision to screen 鈥楴o Other Land鈥 is not a declaration of political alignment. It is a bold reaffirmation of our fundamental belief that every voice deserves to be heard.鈥
In December and January, the city of Miami Beach executed two grants worth about $80,000 for O Cinema, according to the mayor's proposed resolution. About half the money has already been paid, but the resolution would stop the rest. The city began leasing space to O Cinema in 2019 with the ability to terminate the contract with 180 days of notice, which is what Meiner is seeking to do.
鈥淣o Other Land,鈥 which was shot between 2019 and 2023 and released last year, was directed by a group of Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers: Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.
鈥淲hen the mayor uses the word antisemitism to silence Palestinians and Israelis who proudly oppose occupation and apartheid together, fighting for justice and equality, he is emptying it out of meaning,鈥 Abraham said in an email. 鈥淚 find that to be very dangerous.鈥
The film documents the destruction of Palestinian villages in the West Bank by the Israeli military. It won the Academy Award for best documentary feature as well as earlier awards.
While the film has earned wide praise from film critics, it has also drawn controversy.
鈥淔reedom of expression is an important value, but defamation of Israel into a tool for international promotion is not art,鈥 Israeli culture minister Miki Zohar said in a post.
