Miami Beach withdraws call to end lease of theater that screened Israeli-Palestinian documentary

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MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — 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.

“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.

“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.