WETA has added the documentary “” to its District Docs collection, now streaming on WETA+.聽The station has also posted the documentary on .
Voters in last week’s D.C. Democratic primary selected nominees for mayor and delegate who have vowed to keep up the fight for the District’s autonomy, so it鈥檚 a fitting time to revisit the film, which follows a young Washingtonian whose life has been shaped by the fight for representation.
D.C. statehood movement is personal for Jamal Holtz. It started long before he became the face of a movement or the subject of a documentary. It began at home.
鈥淲hen my mom talked about having lack of access to health insurance and the impacts on me and going to school, that was all rooted in our lack of being a state,鈥� Holtz said. 鈥淭he fact that we didn鈥檛 have a vote on the matter of the Affordable Care Act was to show people that, like, people in D.C. actually experience real issues and real problems.鈥�
“” director Hannah Rosenzweig first met Holtz at a 2021 event in Brooklyn organized by 51 for 51 and New Yorkers for D.C. Statehood. The group pushes for D.C. to become a state with 51 votes in the Senate instead of the 60鈥憊ote filibuster threshold.
Rosenzweig said one part of the movement immediately caught her attention.
鈥淚 just love the framing of young native Washingtonians,鈥� Rosenzweig said. 鈥淩eally looking at them as part of a voting rights and civil rights movement.鈥�
She said Holtz stood out from the beginning, saying she knew 鈥渉e was going places.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 a leader,鈥� Rosenzweig said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 charismatic 鈥� people listen when he talks.鈥�
Filming began in June 2021, when Holtz was 23.
Holtz, who is now 28, said: 鈥淵ou had me when I had braces, to me with facial hair and no braces.鈥�
Serving the community isn鈥檛 new to Holtz. He was a member of the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute, the city鈥檚 long鈥憆unning program that trains D.C. teenagers in leadership and public service.
The documentary, which premiered June 16, 2024, at the DC/DOX Film Festival, follows the push for statehood through the House’s passage of H.R. 51, the advocacy campaign in the Senate and the everyday life of a fourth鈥慻eneration Washingtonian.
鈥淚t talks about D.C. statehood through a different lens,鈥� Holtz said. 鈥淲hat does lack of statehood look like in people鈥檚 day鈥憈o鈥慸ay lives?鈥�
Rosenzweig said she wanted viewers to see the real Washington 鈥� the neighborhoods and the families who rarely appear in national conversations about the city.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a culture of D.C. that most people don鈥檛 know about,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 love that. In fact, I wanted to move there.鈥�
Holtz spoke to 海角精品黑料 outside the Wilson Building by the Marion Barry statue, and was asked where he saw himself in 20 years.
鈥淚鈥檒l be standing on the grounds of the 51st state,鈥� Holtz said. 鈥淗elping to govern our state and helping live up to the American dream and democracy that the people of D.C. want.鈥�
When the question turned to which office sounded more fun, governor or senator, Holtz smiled and said, 鈥淭he title will figure it out.鈥�
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