Hamtramck, USA

Once a city that was 90% Polish, Hamtramck, Michigan became the first Muslim-majority city in America. Now, this new wave of immigrants aim to gain representation in City Hall.

HAMTRAMCK, USA follows Kamal Rahman, a Bangladeshi candidate for Mayor, Fadel al-Marsoumi, a 23-year-old Iraqi immigrant running for city council, as well as the current mayor, Karen Majewski, Hamtramck’s first female mayor in the city’s 100 year lineage of Polish mayors. Throughout the election, candidates look to build support, coalitions, and partnerships across ethnic and religious lines.

Weaved into the election season, the film showcases the vibrant life, celebrations, and culture of those who call this city home. At the end of the election, regardless of who ultimately wins, Hamtramck will need to come together, with a new identity or the remaining fragments of the past, to face the many challenges ahead.

About the filmmakers:

Razi Jafri is a Detroit-based documentary photographer and filmmaker whose work focuses on religion, race, politics, immigration, and the changing cultural landscape in America. His own experience as a Muslim immigrant has informed much of his work.

His current projects include HAMTRAMCK, USA, which premiered at SXSW in 2021; and LOYALTY, following three Muslim chaplains as they navigate religious freedom and Islamophobia in the US armed forces. LOYALTY is currently nearing the end of production. Razi served as a mentor in Kartemquin Films Diverse Voices in Docs Fellowship. He has been awarded fellowships by Facing Change: Documenting Detroit, the New York Foundation for the Arts, The Salzburg Global Forum, and the Knight Foundation Fellowship at the Sundance Film Festival.

Razi became a documentary photographer and filmmaker after a ten-year engineering career in the automotive and biomedical industries in order to pursue more meaningful work. Razi is an alumnus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn where he received a bachelor's degree in engineering.

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Justin Feltman graduated from Pacific Union College, where he studied film and business administration with a marketing emphasis, building an understanding of the art and business of filmmaking. During his senior year, he produced the short film, HEAVEN, which won the school’s Best Senior Thesis.

Justin worked on several independent films, such as I AM and STRUCK BY LIGHTNING, as well as the documentaries, NAPA VALLEY DREAMS and CHECK IT. He has produced several short films, music videos, and a web series. He currently creates video content for nonprofits and small businesses in the DC area.