Miami Beach mayor urges theater to cancel Oscar-winner he calls ‘hateful propaganda’
The mayor of Miami Beach is urging an art house theater in the city to cancel planned screenings of an Oscar-winning documentary about the ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank that he calls ‘hateful propaganda.”
On March 5, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner sent a strongly worded letter to O Cinema, an independent film cinema located in South Beach. He asks its CEO, Vivian Marthell, to remove the film “No Other Land,” which is scheduled to premiere Friday night at 7pm and has showings through next week.
But, despite pressure from Meiner, the South Beach theater has decided to move forward and run the film, which won an Academy Award early this week but has generated widespread criticism in Israel and from Jewish groups. The controversial film has secured only limited screenings in the United States despite its high-praise from film critics and viewers.
In a letter on city letterhead to O Cinema obtained by the Miami Herald, Meiner calls the film “a one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people” and asks Marthell, “on behalf of the residents of Miami Beach” to reconsider her decision to air the film.
“Here in Miami Beach, our City has adopted a strong policy of support for the State of Israel in its struggle to defend itself and its residents against attacks by the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah,” the letter reads. “Airing performances of the one-sided, inaccurate film “No Other Land” at a movie theater facility owned by the City and operated by O Cinema is disappointing.”
The city of Miami Beach is listed as a supporter of O Cinema on its website, but it is not immediately clear how much funding the city provides for its operation. The theater is a part of a larger group of arts and culture organizations that received a boost in funding from Miami Beach in response to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s veto of $32 million in statewide arts funding last year, according to WLRN.
Though the letter doesn’t overtly threaten any funding cuts, it does mention, twice, that the theater itself is located on property owned by Miami Beach, a city that has a significant Jewish population.
Meiner did not immediately respond to the Herald’s request for comment. Nor did representatives from O Cinema when asked to provide their reasoning to keep the film on its roster.
However, Marthell did confirm that the documentary is still premiering tonight and will run for several days. She also sent a short speech that she said will be read at every screening that explains the theater’s position on the film.
“We understand the power of cinema and its ability to tell stories that matter. Yet, we also understand that some stories, especially those rooted in real-world conflicts, can evoke strong feelings and passionate reactions,” Marthell wrote in an email.
“But let me be clear: our decision to screen NO OTHER LAND is not a declaration of political alignment. It is, however, a bold reaffirmation of our fundamental belief that every voice deserves to be heard, even, and perhaps especially, when it challenges us.”
Film controversy
Made over the course of five years (from 2019 to days after October 7, 2023), “No Other Land” documents the destruction of Masafer Yatta, a group of Palestinian villages in the southern West Bank at the hands of the Israeli military. The film garnered attention for its raw, unflinching look at the demolition of Palestinian homes and displacement of citizens in the West Bank.
It also highlights the alliance and blossoming friendship between two unlikely parties: Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, who are also two of the film’s directors.
On Sunday, the film, which has won several international prizes, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and has been widely acclaimed by film critics groups. But, it has also been shrouded in controversy.
Israel’s top officials have condemned the film for amplifying narratives that “distort” Israel’s image. The Israeli culture minister, Miki Zohar, in a recent social media post, called the film “sabotage” against the country, “especially in the wake of the October 7th massacre and the ongoing war.”
Some Palestinians have said the film “uplifts their spirits,” according to reporting from NPR, and that the attention brought by the film may even help prevent future displacement. In their Oscar acceptance speech, filmmakers Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham openly condemned the killing of Palestinians and Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
“We call on the world to take serious action to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people,” Adra said. “About two months ago, I became a father, and I hope for my daughter that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now.”
Abraham, who is an Israeli journalist and filmmaker, noted that the two are friends, but cannot live equal lives due to certain laws.
“We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger,” said Abraham, from the Oscars stage. “We see each other in the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people which must end, in the Israeli hostages brutally taken in the crime of October 7, which must be freed. When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal.”
This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 5:42 PM.
