The mayor of Miami Beach is backing off a proposal to terminate an independent theater’s lease and financial support after it screened an Oscar-winning documentary about the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. NBC6’s Steve Litz reports
The mayor of Miami Beach, Florida, is backing off a proposal to terminate an independent theater’s lease and financial support after it screened an Oscar-winning documentary about the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.
Mayor Steven Meiner introduced a resolution last week describing the film “No Other Land” 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.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
WATCH HERE“No Other Land” 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’s 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.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP
“No Other Land,” 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 deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel 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.
Meiner had the support of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Hialeah Mayor Esteban "Steve" Bovo. But on Wednesday, he heard from dozens of Miami Beach residents and people from other communities, the majority of whom spoke in favor of free speech in the First Amendment. They called out the mayor for moving in a direction they said was censorship.
"In the interest of unity, I am going to withdraw C7AA, the revoking of the funding to O Cinema," Meiner said at the meeting to applause.
"Free speech is sacrosanct, and I'm a staunch, staunch believer, but we've seen a level of antisemitism, anti-Israelism, that's reached levels that really has many Jews scared," he told NBC6 later. "And this was a discussion that needed to be had, and it was a healthy discussion, and I'm glad we had it."
O Cinema will continue to show films inside their theater located in the Old City Hall building, still owned by the city of Miami Beach.
