Mayor

How do you run a city when you don’t have a country? The documentary Mayor answers the question by following Musa Hadid, the charismatic and compassionate mayor of Ramallah, as he goes about his daily duties running the Palestinian, West Bank city of 60,000 people. Deadpan municipal humor, quiet outrage, and civic duty in the face of staggering injustice drive this engaging film from director David Osit. Shot over the course of two years, Hadid oversees the annual lighting of the town square Christmas tree, the construction of a public water fountain, the paving of sidewalks, and the cleanup of sewage spills; but even the most innocuous of tasks becomes a complicated and dangerous enterprise under Israeli occupation. Military raids, tear gas, rubber bullets, and more disrupt daily life while global events such as President Trump’s 2017 naming of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel generate local uprisings and international headlines. The collision of public service and global politics splits Hadid’s time between serving his constituents and raising worldwide awareness about the indignity of life under occupation. For artfully highlighting the Palestinian plight for autonomy through the lens of a dedicated, small town leader, Mayor wins a Peabody Award.