THE LETTER

HAMZEH, ZIAD H.
AFD

Item Information Artists Name: HAMZEH, ZIAD H. Title: THE LETTER Format: DV Label: AFD City Hall Catalog Number:  1073 UPC Product Code: 643519107398 List Price: 25.98 Musical Category:  SPECIAL INTEREST FILM Release Date:  3/21/2006 Additional Musical Category Notes:   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. Controversy erupts when Lewiston Mayor Larry Raymond informs 1,100 newly-arrived Somali refugees that the city's resources are strained 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. This 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.