O Cinema responds to Miami Beach's eviction threat over documentary "No Other Land"
Civil rights groups, community leaders and artists are coming to the defense of the O Cinema theater on South Beach, which has been
threatened with eviction
for its screenings of the controversial film
No Other Land
.
On Tuesday, Vivian Marthell, the CEO of O Cinema, was joined by representatives from the ACLU, the Miami Light Project and the Community Justice Project to discuss the First Amendment concerns raised by Miami Beach's threat of eviction and withdrawal of approximately $40,000 in city grant funding.
"O Cinema has long been known for its commitment to presenting a wide range of voices and viewpoints. The ability to document history and share diverse perspectives is a fundamental First Amendment right—one that cannot be erased or suppressed simply because those in power disapprove of a particular message," O Cinema said in a statement.
The documentary
No Other Land
, made by a Palestinian-Israeli team, shows a group of Palestinian villages' interaction with the Israeli military in Masafer Yatta in the West Bank.
It has received international acclaim and was recently awarded the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Every screening at O Cinema has been sold out.
Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner calls the movie antisemitic and a "…one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people…"
On Wednesday, the city's commission will vote on a resolution to "terminate for convenience the O Cinema lease" and "immediately discontinue grant funding."
In a statement, the Jewish Voice for Peace South Florida said, "The Mayor's attacks on the film are unfounded, unconstitutional, and reflect not only his own support for Israel, but also his unwillingness to allow points of view critical of Israel."
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