| | |  | SOMALIA | Home » » The Letter, An American Town and the Somali Invasion. | | | | | | | Description: | | Winner!
- Boston International Film Festival In The Letter, director Ziad H. Hamzeh explores what American news outlets have dubbed the Somali Invasion of Lewiston, Maine an insulated, predominantly white former mill town struggling to maintain its equilibrium in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. A firestorm of controversy erupts when Lewiston, Maine Mayor Larry Raymond sends an open letter to the 1,100 newly-arrived Somali refugees. He informs them that the city's resources are strained to the limit and asks them to tell other Somalis not to move to the city, a move interpreted as racism by some and a rallying cry by white supremacist groups across the United States. The Letter documents the ensuing cross-current of emotions and events, culminating in an anti-immigrant rally convened by The World Church of the Creator and a counter demonstration involving nearly 4,000 Lewiston residents supporting ethnic and cultural diversity. DVD EXTRAS:
Theatrical Trailer Biographies Audio: Arabic, Somali Subtitles: English | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Documentary | | Director:
| Ziad H. Hamzeh | | Format:
| Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Arab Film Distribution | | Run Time:
| 76 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| September 27, 2005 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 4 reviews |
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- Mint | | | $23.12+ $4.49 *Shipping | New | | | $119.99+ $4.49 *Shipping | New | |
| New | |
| $14.31+ $4.49 *Shipping | New | | | $16.84+ $3.99 *Shipping | New | | | $17.51+ $8.00 *Shipping | New | | | $19.99+ $2.98 *Shipping This item is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. | New | | | $23.12+ $4.49 *Shipping | New | | | $119.99+ $4.49 *Shipping | New | |
| Used | |
| $13.79+ $4.49 *Shipping | Used
- Mint | | | $14.07+ $4.49 *Shipping | Used
- Good | | | $14.99+ $4.49 *Shipping | Used
- Acceptable | | | $23.12+ $4.49 *Shipping | Used
- Mint | |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 4 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 The content is goodMar 26, 2008
By Mahad Raage
The title is confusing if you don't know the story behind the film. My cousin was in this story but not in the film. I think the film makers showed this story in a balanced way. I'm glad what happened to these people was documented for the world to see. I would say this is a moving film.
5 of 7 found the following review helpful:
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED!Sep 23, 2005
By JD Knight
"A documentary thrill-ride... Ziad Hamzeh's new documentary THE LETTER moves as breathlessly as a Hollywood thriller - only it's much more frightening because it's true." Russell Scott Smith, New York Post.
"Mr. Hamzeh's film is responsible and intelligent, and important as a record of a disturbing incident. And there is something particularly thrilling about the sight of white Mainers, bundled up against the New England snows, happily swaying and shouting the word 'freedom' to the beat of an African drum." Anita Gates, New York Times.
"Undeniably strong... THE LETTER has a terrifying in-your-face immediacy, a strong cross-section of talking heads on both sides of the debate, and cuts deeply into the cultural wars dividing this country." Kevin Thomas, The Los Angeles Times.
"...A powerful and timely portrait of the tensions that can be generated by immigration situations, especially in a post-Sept. 11 world. THE LETTER is an important social document that merits widespread exposure." Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter.
"...A thoughtful, historically grounded, and utterly absorbing look at a quintessential American experience." Hazel-Dawn Dumpert, LA Weekly.
"Ziad H. Hamzeh's THE LETTER is an especially dramatic work... A study of the American Dream in collapse." Robert Koehler, Variety.
"Structured like a narrative feature about the events leading to a violent showdown... Hamzeh uses filmmaking techniques action-movie directors use to show the growing tension and arming-up of the opposing forces. It feels like [Martin Scorcese's] 'Gangs of New York' acted out by local police
and ordinary people." Glenn Andreiev, Films In Review.
"...A timely, thoughtful, and riveting chronicle... Ziad Hamzeh juggles an impressive number of subjects, including anti-Muslim sentiment, the neo-Nazi movement, institutionalized prejudice, and the nation's immigrant heritage... Hamzeh keeps the ideas flying and the story building... As an affecting work of compassionate craftsmanship, THE LETTER delivers." Rick Kisonak, Film Threat Magazine.
The LetterApr 19, 2012
By Ben
Produced and directed by Ziad Hamzeh, the film The Letter offers a fascinating examination of the events that took place in Lewiston, Maine in 2002 and 2003 following the release of then Mayor Laurier (Larry) Raymond's open letter to Lewiston's Somali community. Raymond's letter asked Somali elders to stop the flow of Somali immigrants to Lewiston. Out of Raymond's letter in the Sun Journal came a veritable firestorm of racial tension in a city that was at the time nearly 97% white. Lewiston is not without its own issues, since the closure of the Bates Mill the local economy has witnessed a sharp decline with many of the census tracts among the poorest in the state; the economic woes of locals and a number of misunderstandings regarding aid for Somalis created substantial animosity between the two groups. Primarily an account of racism in America Hamzeh's The Letter does a wonderful job of capturing the emotions and issues at play during 2002 and 2003. Hamzeh argues that many of the troubles faced by Somalis in Lewiston are the product of the post-9/11 world wherein being both Muslim and black only served to amplify the Somali's differences. Originally a local issue the story was eventually broadcast throughout the United States and caught the eye of David C. Stern, leader of the white supremacist group the World Church of the Creator. The bulk of the film deals with Stern's anti-Somali rally and the pro-diversity rally held at Bates College in Lewiston. Hamzeh uses the comments from a number of interviewees associated with both rallies--including former Lewiston Mayors, Maine Governor John Baldacci, Maine Senators Olympia Snow and Susan Collins, as well as World Church leader David Stern--to tell the story of the event that garnered the biggest police force ever assembled in the State of Maine.
0 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Painful to WatchMay 14, 2007
By omar
I didn't like this video at all. It gave more screentime to the white supremacists than anyone else. also, the video blatantly seemed to ignore the role of the Islamic religion in the culture of Somalis, and instead focused more on the churches helping them (nothing wrong with it, but I feel the islamic aspect should not have been so excluded).
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