The controversy surrounding O Cinema South Beach's screening of the Oscar-winning film "No Other Land" highlights the ongoing debate about freedom of expression in cinema, particularly when it comes to sensitive political issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the documentary has received critical acclaim for its portrayal of life under occupation and resistance against displacement, it has also faced criticism from various quarters, including the mayor of Miami Beach who called the film "anti-semitic." This attempt to censor the film by cutting off city funding and lease is seen as a direct attack on O Cinema's autonomy in choosing its programming.
Kareem Tabsch, co-founder and board of directors chair at O Cinema, has expressed his concern over this move, stating that it sounds like censorship to him. He emphasizes the cinema's history of showing films that spark strong sentiments and opinions, and how they have always faced vocal audience members or community members questioning their programming choices. However, never before had elected officials tried to dictate what should be shown at O Cinema.
The film "No Other Land" was made by Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, who chronicled the bulldozing of homes in the Masafer Yatta community on the West Bank from 2019 to 2023. The documentary has been lauded for its portrayal of life under occupation but has also faced criticism for "normalizing" the Israeli occupation and being a one-sided narrative.
The lack of a U.S. distributor has forced the filmmakers to make individual deals with cinemas, including O Cinema South Beach. The controversy surrounding this particular screening raises important questions about freedom of expression in cinema and how political sensitivities can be used as tools for censorship.
[Original Article](https://www.npr.org/2025/03/15/nx-s1-5328740/miami-beach-o-cinema-no-other-land) #'sounds #like #censorship [Visit GhostAI](https://ghostai.pro/)
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