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Meyer Levinson-Blount is already having an impactful new year. The 24-year-old New York native, now a decade-long resident of Israel, has finished up film school at Tel Aviv University, created his first short film, won a silver medal for narrative film at the competitive Student Academy Awards for said short film, and recently, that same short film landed a spot on the 2026 Oscars shortlist.
What is the name of the short film garnering attention from the industry? Butcher’s Stain. Produced by Oron Caspi and the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television at Tel Aviv University, the 14-minute film set, after the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel and Palestine, follows Samir (Omar Sameer Mahamid), an Arab butcher who finds himself falsely accused of tearing down hostage posters in his company’s breakroom. Under scrutiny and discrimination, Samir tries to prove his innocence and keep the job that he desperately needs to provide for himself and his child.
Here, Levinson-Blount speaks with Deadline about the complications of war and the need for empathy in today’s society.
DEADLINE: Where did this idea come from?
MEYER LEVINSON-BLOUNT: I went to work at a supermarket after the 7th of October. I had just finished my first year of film school [at Tel Aviv University], and I went to work at the supermarket because everything else was closed, so I had to find something to do. During that time, I basically witnessed all of the effects of the war within the supermarket itself, because that place is a microcosm of Israeli society as it has people from different backgrounds [working and shopping inside]. I felt like I witnessed the way that all of Israeli society reacted to the traumatic events of the 7th of October.
What really bothered me the most was the reaction that was pointed at the Palestinians who were in Israel. There’s a lot of racism and discrimination from people who don’t want anything to do with Palestinians who are here in Israel. So, I wanted to talk about two things that are sometimes discussed separately for political reasons. Sometimes people talk about the 7th of October. Sometimes people talk about the discrimination against Palestinians. And I really wanted to talk about both of them. As obviously these events transpired and they were awful, but also, that doesn’t justify racism and discrimination against an individual who really had nothing to do with this whole conflict.
DEADLINE: Why was it important to tell the story through the lens of the butcher profession?
LEVINSON-BLOUNT: It’s an obvious choice when you see the film. I think that the important thing to think about when answering this type of question is to think about the contrast between what the butcher character does in physically watching [everyone around him], cutting meat, putting meat away, and the person that he actually is. He’s a very gentle, nice, polite, smart human being, and the idea is to put the stereotype in your face for a second, then show you that it’s absolutely false and has nothing to do with the person. It’s almost like meeting the viewer where he is with what he thinks about a certain group of people, then bursting that bubble. But it’s not only the stereotypes around Palestinians, but it’s also about stereotypes around all types of people. It’s showing you that there are different groups of people trying to make a living and trying to look after their family, and a lot of the time, there really is no basis for all these racist stereotypes that we have in our system.
DEADLINE: How did you find Omar Sameer Mahamid to play Samir?
LEVINSON-BLOUNT: Originally, I contacted my lecturer, who was helping me out, and she set me up with this agent for Palestinian actors. I sent the agent the script, and he read it and showed me Omar. He was like, “This is your guy, do an audition with him.” So, I set up an audition with Omar, and he came in, and that agent was right [laughs]. Initially, Omar had an issue with the filming schedule because he was going to be on vacation during some of the production dates. So, we moved the entire production a month or so, to accommodate him, because it was just that important for me to have him as an actor. There was no one else we saw who was even close to acting on his level or encompassing this character as well as he did. He’s an amazing actor, a very professional person, and a pleasure to work with. He also really taught me a lot about the script.
DEADLINE: What did he teach you about the script? And were there any other logistical challenges for the short?
LEVINSON-BLOUNT: There were lots of challenges. There was still a war going on at the time, so production would stop and start whenever [something happened]. Then there was the challenge of me being a Jewish director and telling this story about a Palestinian within Israel. And even though I had written this script and had the actors read it and really like it, I also had to listen to what the Palestinian actors had to say to direct in a way that authentically respects their story and narrative. We were able to overcome this, though, because the actors were very professional and nice and would explain things to me. For example, in their Arabic scenes, I gave them some text, but they were responsible for making sure everything was said correctly, because I had no idea what they were saying. They had to explain it to me afterwards.
DEADLINE: It’s delicately handled in the film, but you’re still talking about the Gaza War situation. Was there fear in covering this topic at any point along the way?
LEVINSON-BLOUNT: It’s a very controversial issue that’s still talked about worldwide. What bothers me is that it’s so hard to talk about these things on social media, where everyone is just very on edge all the time and at each other’s throats. I wanted to create a respectful dialogue about some of these issues. This was a way to connect with Palestinian Israeli actors and have people meet and talk about things in a way that is actually productive.
DEADLINE: You won the silver medal for best narrative at the 2025 Student Academy Awards and landed the Oscars shortlist. What do you think people are tapping into with your short?
LEVINSON-BLOUNT: I don’t know. This is a very surreal experience for me, as this is my first serious film. Every single step of the way, I’m more excited and more surprised that we’re able to have people like the film so much that they’re voting for it. That’s really an exciting and fantastic experience for me. If I were to guess why it is that we have been able to get to where we are, I think that it’s, as I said, it’s really about talking about an issue in a delicate, emotional, and humane way and not in a political way. I think that when you’re watching a film, you really want to connect with it as a human being. We have politicians and social media for those kinds of conversations, arguments, and all that, and that’s fine. There’s no issue with that. But I think what I wanted to do was really connect the audience on a human level to that community, put you in their shoes, and have the viewer experience that in a humane way, which isn’t supposed to make you uncomfortable. It isn’t supposed to provoke you or get you angry. It’s really only supposed to connect you on a human, emotional level.
[This interview has been edited for length and clarity]
English (US) ·