Despite its distribution challenges, the film has gone on to win a spate of accolades. On March 2, No Other Land won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film. Three days later, on March 5, New Times reported the film would screen at O Cinema. That same day, in a letter published by the Miami Herald, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner asked O Cinema CEO Vivian Marthell to cancel screenings of the film, calling it "a one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people."
The mayor noted O Cinema operates on city-owned property — the independent theater is located inside the old Miami Beach City Hall, which the city still owns.
"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," wrote Mayor Meiner. "I ask you on behalf of the residents of Miami Beach to reconsider your decision and not air this hateful propaganda film."
O Cinema's Response to Mayor Steven Meiner's Letter
Marthell responded to Mayor Meiner's letter the next day, initially acquiescing to his request. "Due to the concerns of antisemitic rhetoric, we have decided to withdraw the film from our programming," she wrote in a letter obtained and published by Axios.But the initial screenings went ahead anyway, and the theater proceeded to add four more showings of the film, set for Wednesday, March 19, and Thursday, March 20. On Monday, March 10, Coral Gables Art Cinema announced it, too, would screen the film, with screenings slated from Friday, March 14, through Tuesday, March 18.
New Times asked Marthell why O Cinema reversed course on withdrawing screenings of No Other Land.
"My initial reaction to Mayor Meiner’s threats was made under duress," Marthell said in a statement. "After reflecting on the broader implications for free speech and O Cinema’s mission, I (along with the O Cinema board and staff members) agreed it was critical to screen this acclaimed film."
Mayor Meiner Proposes Revoking O Cinema's Lease
Meiner reacted to O Cinema's decision to proceed with the screenings in a newsletter sent out the night of Tuesday, March 11. In the mailer, Mayor Meiner announced his proposal to revoke O Cinema's lease."Miami Beach leases a City-owned theater located on Washington Avenue to O Cinema," he wrote. "That’s a good deal for them. It becomes a bad deal for Miami Beach when O Cinema decides to air a film that can best be described as a false one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people that is not consistent with the values of our City and residents (I watched the film)."
The mayor went on to describe No Other Land as "egregiously antisemitic," and he cited Marthell's initial agreement "to withdraw the film from our programming."
"Unfortunately," the mayor continued, "O Cinema reversed course the next day and decided to air the film despite conceding its 'antisemitic rhetoric.'" He closed the email by announcing he'd introduced legislation "to move on from O Cinema, as permitted by our contract, and seek a cultural partner that better aligns with our community values." The mayor added those values included rejecting "any form of hatred, including against the Jewish people and the State of Israel."
Shortly after the mayor's newsletter went out, the Herald's Miami Beach reporter Aaron Leibowitz posted a copy of the resolution proposing the termination of O Cinema's lease.
What's Next?
The mayor's proposal has elicited a global response, including from Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, one of the co-directors of No Other Land. On its Instagram account, O Cinema has reposted requests for donations — the arthouse cinema was already in the process of fundraising for its planned expansion to Little River this summer — and for local residents to call the mayor's office to express support for the indie theater.The city commission is set to discuss the mayor's resolution at its next meeting on Wednesday, March 19.
