MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) 鈥� The mayor of Miami Beach, Florida, is backing off an independent theater鈥檚 lease and financial support after it screened about the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.
Mayor Steven Meiner introduced a last week describing the film 鈥淣o Other Land鈥� as antisemitic, but he withdrew it during Wednesday's regular commission meeting after five of the six city commissioners said they opposed the proposal. Meiner said he would support an alternative resolution to encourage the theater to show films that highlight a fair and balanced viewpoint.
鈥淣o Other Land鈥� opened earlier this month 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. Marthell said she initially agreed not to screen it but later changed her mind after reflecting on the broader implications for free speech and O Cinema鈥檚 mission of sharing films that not only entertain but also challenge, educate and inspire meaningful dialogue.
She has threatened legal action against the city if it moves forward with the eviction.
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. The film documents the destruction of Palestinian villages in the West Bank by the Israeli military. Production on it wrapped days before Hamas launched its that started the war in Gaza.
The film won the Academy Award for best documentary feature earlier this month, as well as previous awards. While it has earned wide praise from film critics, it has also drawn controversy.
The Associated Press
