MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – The future of O Cinema is uncertain after Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner pressured the theater to stop showing the Oscar-winning film No Other Land or risk eviction and funding cuts.
The film, created by a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist, tells the story of a Palestinian family whose home was taken over by Israeli forces.
Its screening has drawn sharp criticism, including from Meiner, who has demanded the theater cease showing it immediately.
Cinema leaders on Tuesday stood alongside the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Coalition Against Censorship and cinematographers in defense of the screening.
Filmmaker and O Cinema co-founder Kareem Tabsch defended the screening, acknowledging the film’s divisive nature.
“I realize that No Other Land elicits a lot of strong feelings,” Tabsch said. “What one person may find insensitive, another finds thoughtful. Film is subjective.”
“O Cinema will not be silenced, and neither will our community,” said Vivian Martell, CEO of O Cinema. “This is about more than just a film, it’s about the fundamental right of free expression, of artistic integrity and the role of independent cinemas in our community.”
The controversy centers on the theater’s lease at Old City Hall, which the city commission will vote on Wednesday. The resolution, if passed, would terminate O Cinema’s lease and revoke its grant funding.
O Cinema, which has operated at its current location for 11 years, says it will not bow to demands that it believes undermine First Amendment rights.
Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books, criticized the mayor’s push to punish the theater.
“I was raised in a Jewish tradition that deeply values freedoms of expression,” Kaplan said. “A healthy democracy does not fear discussion, it welcomes it.”
Several cultural leaders and civil rights advocates, including the ACLU of Florida, have spoken out against the proposed eviction.
“We will not be intimidated by overreaching government officials and their misguided actions,” said Beth Boone, executive director of the Miami Light Project and an O Cinema collaborator.
Daniel Tilley, legal director of the ACLU of Florida, warned that the city’s actions could violate constitutional rights.
“True freedom means all speech is protected, not just the speech politicians agree with,” Tilley said. “Simply put, if the city of Miami Beach adopts this resolution, they will be breaking the law.”
Tabsch stressed that the issue at hand is not just about No Other Land, but about the broader principle of free expression.
“I think the First Amendment is a black-and-white issue,” he said. “I am not here today to defend No Other Land.”
Martell said the theater stands by its decision to show the film.
“I had a conversation with staff, with my board, and we all agreed that it was really important to show this critical film,” Martell said. “It is an award-winning film, it’s on mission.”
The city commission will vote on the resolution Wednesday. The mayor’s regularly scheduled virtual town hall is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Click here to watch Tuesday’s commission meeting and here for details on how to watch Wednesday’s vote.
Local 10 News viewers can also read the theater’s lease agreement and First Amendment in the documents below.
