- Documentary is propaganda and an attack on Jews, says Stephen Miner
- Cinema CEO Vivian Martell backs decision to screen film
LONDON: The mayor of Miami Beach, Florida, has threatened to close a cinema showing the Oscar-winning film No Other Land, which tells the story of the displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank.
Steven Miner has proposed terminating the O Cinema's lease and withdrawing promised $40,000 in grant funding after a series of requests to cancel a documentary screening.
Miner's proposal to terminate the theater's lease is scheduled to go to a city commission vote next Wednesday.
Critics of the film say it unfairly criticizes Israeli and German officials and contains anti-Semitic content.
“The city of Miami Beach has one of the highest concentrations of Jewish population in the United States,” Miner said in a newsletter sent to residents Tuesday.
He described the documentary as “a false, one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people that does not correspond to the values of our city and its residents.”
Miner also said that O Cinema CEO Vivian Martell initially agreed to cancel the screening, but later reversed her decision and added additional dates after the film sold out.
Martell said she stood by her decision.
“We understand the power of cinema in telling stories that matter, and we recognize that some stories – especially those based on real-life conflicts – can evoke strong feelings and passionate reactions. As they should.
“Our decision to screen No Other Earth is not a declaration of political orientation. It is, however, a bold affirmation of our fundamental belief that every voice deserves to be heard.”
When this mayor uses the word “anti-Semitism” to bully us, Palestinians and Israelis who stand together proudly against occupation and apartheid, fighting for justice and equality for all, he is dangerously robbing it of its meaning. Once you witness Israel's ethnic cleansing of Masafer… pic.twitter.com/B50Mb6ymeO
— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) March 13, 2025
The film, which won an Oscar for best documentary feature this month, was shot between 2019 and 2023 by Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers.
The film depicts the destruction of Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank by the Israeli military and tells the story of the unusual friendship between Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, who co-directed the film.
Abraham said: “When the mayor uses the word 'anti-Semitism' to silence Palestinians and Israelis who stand together with pride against occupation and apartheid, fighting for justice and equality, he is robbing it of its meaning.
“I think it's very dangerous.”
While the film received critical acclaim, it also generated controversy, highlighting ongoing tensions over free speech and Palestinian activism both in the United States and abroad.
“Freedom of speech is an important value, but turning Israel into an instrument of international advertising is not art,” Israeli Culture Minister Micky Zohar said in a social media post after the Oscars ceremony.
Despite its success, No Other Earth had difficulty getting distribution in the United States, as the filmmakers self-released it through mTuckman Media.
Directors including Abraham and Adra have cited fears of political backlash as the reason for U.S. distributors' reluctance to acquire the rights.
The Oscar win for No Other Land is a sad moment for the world of cinema. Instead of showing the complexity of Israeli reality, the filmmakers chose to reinforce narratives that distort the image of Israel in the eyes of an international audience. Freedom of speech is…
— Miki Zohar מיקי זוהר (@zoharm7) March 3, 2025
The dispute comes amid heightened tensions over Palestinian activism in the United States.
Earlier this week, immigration authorities detained Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student activist and green card holder who led a movement in solidarity with Palestinians during campus protests last year.
President Donald Trump has claimed without evidence that Khalil is linked to “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activities.”
The incident has sparked an international outcry, with human rights groups and media outlets condemning Khalil's detention as a “dangerous moment” and a “flagrant assault on free speech” that violates the First Amendment.
