Mayor

Synopsis

MAYOR is a real-life political saga following Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah, during his second term in office. ​Surrounded on all sides by Israeli settlements and soldiers, most people in Ramallah will never have the chance to travel more than a few miles outside their home, which is why Mayor Hadid is determined to make the city a beautiful and dignified place to live. ​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.
Made over two years, the film follows charismatic yet beleaguered Mayor Hadid as he tends to his hometown during one of the most tumultuous times in Palestine’s history. ​Combining the neorealism of a Rossellini film with the absurdist humor of “Veep”, ​MAYOR offers a portrait of dignity amidst the madness of endless occupation while posing a question: how do you run a city when you don’t have a country?

Director Biography

David Osit is an Emmy Award-winning director, editor and composer. David is one of the directors of the feature documentary “Thank You For Playing”, which premiered at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival, broadcast on POV in 2016, and was nominated for three Emmy awards, winning for Outstanding Arts & Culture Documentary. He also edited and produced Offframe, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and Berlinale in 2016. His first film, Building Babel, premiered at True/False in 2012. David is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents and the Sundance Nonfiction Director's Lab.