In Theaters 12.02.2020 or Watch at Home 02.16.2021

Mayor

Directed by David Osit
Film Movement
2020
89 Minutes
USA, United Kingdom
English, Arabic
Documentary
Not Rated
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MAYOR is a real-life political saga following Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah, during his second term in office. His immediate goals: repave the sidewalks, attract more tourism, and plan the city's Christmas celebrations. His ultimate mission: to end the occupation of Palestine. Rich with detailed observation and a surprising amount of humor, MAYOR offers a portrait of dignity amidst the madness and absurdity of endless occupation while posing a question: how do you run a city when you don't have a country?

Director & Cast

  • Director: David Osit
  • Starring: Musa Hadid

Where to Watch

Streaming Fandango At Home Amazon Apple TV Google Play

Trailer

Photos

Reviews

  • "The best new film about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a dark comedy about Ramallah’s Mayor... offers a striking new perspective on that struggle, with a personal on-the-ground quality matched by grand tonal ambitions that makes it the best of its subgenre. "
    Eric Kohn, Indiewire
  • "Impressive. Engrossing. MAYOR is a study in politics both micro and macro, showing what happens when the two come fatefully crashing together."
    Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter
  • "Astonishing. Gripping and surprisingly witty... Osit brings a respectful approach that admirably never registers as observations of a patronizing Westerner."
    Tomris Laffly, Variety
  • "CRITIC'S PICK. Surprisingly funny. Hadid comes across as a cleareyed, forthright leader. But Mayor also stands out because Osit has thought it through in cinematic terms."
    Ben Kenigsberg, The New York Times
  • "MAYOR is an astounding and enthralling film... filled with a delicate blend of dark humour and unflinching honesty."
    Courtney Small, Cinema Axis
  • "... one of my favorites of the year, hands-down — was David Osit’s hilarious and moving documentary Mayor."
    Alissa Wilkinson, Vox
  • "Subtly electrifying... deeply affecting. A movie full of vitalising, delicate observations."
    Robert Greene, Sight & Sound
  • "Brilliant. Like a lost season of "Veep"... amuses and devastates in equal measure."
    Stephen Saito, Moveable Fest
  • "Offers more absurd moments than Samuel Beckett could have ever worked up."
    Arash Azizi, Universal Cinema
  • "MAYOR is essential viewing about the lines between small and grand acts of resistance."
    B.P. Flanagan, Seventh Row
  • "I loved this film. I loved everything about it from its craft, to its subject to all the thematic threads. I love that this is a film that works on many different levels, that it entertains like a drama and makes you think. This is a magnificent film."
    Steve Kopian, Unseen Films
  • "One of the Top 20 films of 2020. ...thrilling and perceptive. Essential viewing...."
    Eric Kohn, Indiewire
  • "Outstanding...Made with irony, subtlety, and style, “Mayor” is a bittersweet lesson in civic and international politics."
    Peter Keough, The Boston Globe
  • "Far from a message movie, David Osit’s sensitive documentary is a captivating, enlightening, and ultimately terrifying look at how to survive day by day when the fight for liberation can seem everlasting."
    Jordan Raup, The Film Stage
  • "“Mayor” proves a unique, involving and edifying experience."
    Gary Goldstein, The Los Angeles Times
  • "...the film is filled with a surprising amount of good humor.... At times, Mayor almost feels like a very dark version of Parks and Recreation."
    Dan Schindel, Hyperalleric
  • "... a fascinating portrait of what city politics look like under extreme conditions. "
    Chris Barsanti, The Playlist
  • "... the director contrasts sometimes dryly funny day-to-day bureaucratic machinations with extraordinary events to give viewers a weighty sense of the existential. "
    Kevin Ritchie, NOW Toronto
  • "Easily one of the best documentaries of the year, Mayor straddles political commentary, verite reportage, poetry and absurdism with considerable aplomb. "
    Dennis Harvey, 48hills
  • "Mayor proves to be a remarkable achievement. Shown through the eyes of Ramallah's leader, preconceived notions about the region are undone. It's a powerful portrait of a people left in its place."
    Chase Hutchinson, The Stranger
  • "One of the Best Films of 2020"
    Christopher Reed, Hammer to Nail
  • "One of the 25 Best Documentaries of 2020. Osit elegantly assembles a portrait of leadership—confident, caring and above all committed to the people—that feels genuinely alien to the American experience today."
    Dom Sinacola, Paste Magazine
Winner
NEXT:WAVE Award
CPH:DOX
Winner
Grand Jury Award
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Nominated
Golden Eye
Zurich Film Festival
Nominated
International Dox Award
Dokufest
Official Selection
True/False Film Festival
Official Selection
Hot Docs
Official Selection
Melbourne Int'l. Film Festival
Official Selection
Hamburg Film Festival
Official Selection
New Zealand Int'l. Film Festival
Official Selection
BAM CinemaFest
Official Selection
Woods Hole Film Festival
Official Selection
San Francisco Int'l. Film Festival
Official Selection
Warsaw Film Festival
Official Selection
Berlin Jewish Film Festival
Winner
Honorable Mention
Philadelphia Film Festival