Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Brennan Camacho Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

newsreel It is one of the most musical documentaries I have ever seen, not just the lovely flute of Bashir Adel Aai, but the whole way the interviews are cut, with their phrases floating in the air and breaking against each other. It is one of the privileges of documentary to be able to create conversations among people who would never speak to each other, and Hamseh does it beautifully. I love the way he under informs us, so we are frequently surprised by the words and the faces they come out of. He builds the tension slowly but inexorably, with the pudding-jowled mayor as the fulcrum, a strangely affectless figure whom Hamseh rightly, I think, does not utterly demonize, who makes a journey of his own from cluelessness to -- speechlessness, a kind of metaphor for the reception of the Somali presence by the traditional locals. By the end, one feels an almost physical pressure. We are very lucky to have Hamseh: a sympathetic outsider/insider who can understand Americans better than we can ourselves.

cyril aubaud After the war in Somalia, thousands of Somali refugees come in America. They are first welcomed to Philadelphia, in a dangerous neighborhood where fights between gangs are common. In a hope to find a better place to raise their children, they relocate to Lewiston, Maine. This city, predominantly and traditionally white has a hard time to accept the Somalis in their community. One day, the mayor writes a letter to the Somalis to ask them to tell other Somalis not to move to the city. The terms of this letter, taken as racist statements, are fought by many Somali and American groups defending democracy and liberty. It becomes also a public alibi for pro-white and nazis extremists to express their hate against black (and more generally non-white and non-Christian) people.The greatest quality of this documentary is to be informative. All the events are displayed in their chronological order so that it is easy to figure out what it is about, even if you are not familiar with the matter. The pace of the editing is very fast. As I am not a natural born English speaker, I had a hard time to follow everybody's words, especially those from people with a strong accent (not necessary the Somalis but in fact some deep Americans). The quality of the image and the sound – the last being more problematic for me – are very poor. I found the visual, the sound effects and the music unnecessary as the music often covers the voice of the speakers and adds to the confusion. I must acknowledge that the documentary remains objective, taking into account everybody's opinions. However, the documentary does not go beyond the recount of the events. Maybe that a thorough investigation of the consequences of the events on the life of all the people of Lewiston would have been more interesting. We don't learn more than as if we were watching the news. Interestingly, the last part of the movie, does not focuses that much on the problem caused by the Somalis and the Lewiston people living together but on the strong reaction of the pro-white groups. At the end, we learn (as I could understand) that the mayor wrote this letter only with economic worries in mind and that at that time, while he was adopting black children, being accused of being a racist was a big pain to him. Despite some –minor – flaws, I recommend that everybody watch this movie.

mariellep This compelling documentary is richly complex, constructively provocative, and ultimately inspiring. The dramatic true story of one town's response to its newest community members engages the audience personally, reminding us of our own immigrant ancestry, of our brave predecessors who built America through their staunch dedication to democratic ideals in the face of strategic opposition, and of the destructive societal patterns that still lurk in our midst, requiring that we never stop paying attention. Given the global society in which we now live, and the urgency for understanding the roots of the hatred and terrorism that have changed the international landscape so gravely, this universally relevant story can help us face the challenges of our contemporary world with hope and insight. Everyone should see this film…and talk about it.

asmando This should be required viewing for any city official, any community organizer--any resident of any town in America. I was profoundly impacted by this film, and thank the filmmaker immensely for the style in which this documentary is shot and put together. I was present for an introduction by Mr. Hamzeh, and a question/answer period after the screening. His research and process was incredible, and his even-handedness in presenting the story is remarkable. Seeing the complacency and ease with which many of the townspeople accepted and perpetuated misinformation, I am newly resolved to reach out - with intention and frequency - to newcomers around me. If not, I am a part of the problem, no better than another hypocrite, unaware of my own grandparents' struggle, good fortune, and debt of gratitude to their neighbors.