SYNOPSICS
The Letter: An American Town and the 'Somali Invasion' (2003) is a English,Somali movie. Ziad H. Hamzeh has directed this movie. are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2003. The Letter: An American Town and the 'Somali Invasion' (2003) is considered one of the best Documentary movie in India and around the world.
In the wake of the 9/11 tragedy a firestorm erupts when Mayor Larry Raymond of Lewiston, Maine sends a letter to 1,100 newly arrived Somali refugees advising that the city's resources are strained to the limit and asking that other Somalis not to move to the city. Interpreted as racism by some and a rallying cry by white supremacist groups across the United States, THE LETTER documents the crossfire of emotions and events, culminating in a "hate" rally convened by The World Church of the Creator and a counter "peace" rally involving 4,000 Lewiston residents supporting ethnic and cultural diversity.
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The Letter: An American Town and the 'Somali Invasion' (2003) Reviews
It's not often I'm on the edge of my seat during a documentary
It's not often I'm on the edge of my seat during a documentary, but The Letter had me there the whole time. It's a compelling story to start with - Somalian refugees move to a small town in Maine to build a better life for their kids and emotions run high as an economically depressed, mostly white town grapples with the issues this new influx of residents presents. Are the Somalians helping or hurting the community? Racism and rumor abound, but support for the new residents is also present. It all comes to a head when the mayor writes an open letter to the Somali community, asking them to encourage other Somalis not to come - the town is maxed out on resources. The media gets hold of the letter as well as a white supremacist group who views it as an open invitation to come to town and preach their message. From here, all chaos breaks loose. But the story is not all that's great about this movie. The access the film-makers were able to get to the white supremacist group was phenomenal - interviews with their leaders and inside the hall during their rally. The individuals I saw The Letter with all agreed that one of the more creepier moments was when the leader's very normal-looking girlfriend gave him a kiss and said, "I love you." Somehow it's more comfortable to picture these individuals as rejected losers living in their parent's basements with no social lives at all. But they are real people, with lives - and kids. Many would hold out pictures of their kids and explain they are standing up for the the white race for the sake of their kids' future. The editing was very effective as well. The quick cuts between the "hate" rally and the organized counter-rally were very effective in contrasting the views of the groups, particularly in the final speeches at the end. The segments worked so well together - it was hard to believe they weren't scripted (although they obviously weren't). I wasn't sure how I felt at the end of this movie. In some ways it was so encouraging how most of the community stepped up to support the Somalis. But listening to the white supremacists, it truly dawned on me that we will never be able to eliminate this element of hatred and intolerance in our communities - at best, we can only keep it marginalized and at bay.
The Letter - hope for the future & proud to be an American
In this time of anger, distrust, and divisiveness, The Letter brings people together as neighbors, as community members, as Americans despite ethnicity, religion, skin color, or country of origin. Although most of us are the children of immigrants, never have immigrant groups had an easy entrance into our society. Despite Lady Liberty's promises newcomers have endured a challenging transition into American culture. The Letter highlights the pros and cons of a Somali group's arrival to Lewiston, Maine, but this story could have happened anywhere in our country. Some members of the city were thrilled about the influx of immigrants; some were furious. Is this not what has happened in every community across our nation when newcomers have arrived? Isn't there always concern for jobs? Don't people always worry about housing, about sharing limited resources, about understanding cultural differences? Why are we always afraid of what we don't understand? The Letter gives hope that we can live together, that we can learn to understand and appreciate each other, that the contributions of another culture do in fact enrich the community as a whole. This film must be seen by everyone who cares about really being an American. We are a melting pot, and we're a better people, and a better country, because of it. Thank you, Ziad H. Hamzeh, for so powerfully representing this very American experience.
Brilliant work!!!
The film (the Letter) is an impressive piece of work. A true story, very well put together with a wealth of useful messages and information that has opened a new page in the history of the people in Lewiston, ME. 'The letter' shows the beauty of America. Where else would one find this type of life? - Where two opposing sides (bad ones trying to kick out innocent/hard working immigrants who are contributing to the economy of Lewiston, and the good ones putting their lives in the line of fire to show the world a real humane action) came to challenge each other. As a Somali, I am overwhelmed by the sacrifice extended for the well-being and the safety my people enjoy today in Lewiston, Maine. My praise to the good people (supporters) of Lewiston, ME. Praise also to the courageous Somalis who refused to be intimidated by the ignorant hate groups. Praise and special thanks to Mr. Ziad Hamzeh, the filmmaker and his team who had produced this well balanced, informative piece of work. Braaaaaaavoooooo!!! Hamzeh Mystique Film Team please keep up the good work!
Compelling, Disturbing, and Hopeful
THE LETTER gives us more than what's expected. Beyond a story documenting the events that took place in Lewiston, Maine when Mayor Larry Raymond published a letter asking the newly arrived Somali immigrants to ask their friends and families not to move to the city, THE LETTER reveals the heartbeat of racism that's thumping just under the skin of some Americans. As opposed to some who've commented poorly on the editing style of this doc, I applaud it! Fast-paced and sometimes unrelenting, it draws the viewer in to the personalities and circumstances that built up to the January 11th rallies, forcing us not to view the film from an intellectual perspective but from an emotional one. This is no mistake or flaw in the film and the filmmakers and, I believe, shouldn't be characterized as such. THE LETTER is a mature and powerful movie-going experience. At once compelling, disturbing, and hopeful.
Remarkably gripping documentary film-making
The Letter, by independent filmmaker Ziad Hamzeh, is a great complement to the novel, "The Ice Beneath Us", by first-time author Christian Bauman. The latter tells the semi-autobiographical story of a US soldier sent to Somalia during the "Black Hawk Down" period, more specifically about his inability to adjust to civilian life back in the US after the traumatic events in Somalia. The Letter tells what is, in some ways, the "other" side of the story -- that of Somalia refugees who fled to the US, and eventually settled in a small town in Maine -- ironically just a few miles from the home town of one of the soldiers killed in Mogadishu during the Black Hawk Down incident. Hamzeh masterfully lets the story tell itself and lets the real people reveal their own characters, without intrusive narration or heavy-handed editing. The result, rather than being a polemic, is an unflinching yet ultimately hopeful look at the nature of ignorance, fear and hate, each breeding the other, as a working-class community struggles to come to terms with strangers in their midst, with racist hate-groups that seek to exploit the culture-clash and misunderstandings that ensue, and the national media that swoops down like vultures to inflame all sides. Ultimately, it is the ordinary people of Lewiston, Maine, who emerge with their dignity intact, rising above their baser instincts and coming to embrace the Somali people among them as brothers and sisters and, above all, human beings. A profoundly beautiful piece of documentary film-making, which stands out even in this season of blockbuster documentaries, and a must-see for everyone who wishes to have their faith in ordinary Americans renewed.