Recently a film came out called 'Detropia.' Its a documentary set in Detroit that documents the struggles the city is facing and follows a few of its citizens around while outlining the efforts being made.
Notably, this film was released earlier this year in many worldwide locations... but not Detroit. I remember hearing that the film had screened for a group of Detroit leaders who did not like the way the city was portrayed.
As with anything that has some controversy behind it, me being human, I was curious to know what the fuss was about. One thing is certain, the striking image of two people in gas masks in front of a crumbling home makes me think this film is only going to show the bad parts of the city and call it Detroit. I have a phobia of gas masks which is probably appropriate for another post, but I get angry when the image makes me think I have to wear one to live in Detroit.
The film was different than what I expected. Here are 5 reasons why I liked it:
1). The film showed all parts of the city
Yes, the film did indeed show a lot of abandoned buildings. Its a film about Detroit, I think its in the contract film crews have with the city: 'In order to film within the city limits you must film 1 abandoned building for every 2 minutes of film.'
BUT, the film also showed a few parts that are doing well. And while the entire film is very gritty and sad, I think it accurately portrays Detroit. Detroit is a bit gritty and sad. And to show anything else wouldn't be entirely truthful. There are an awful lot of rah-rah cheerleaders (myself included sometimes) that will gladly skate over some of the grosser parts of the city. While I've flipped and flopped on this issue, I think its far more important that the problems are front and center than swept under the rug.
2). The film was larger than Detroit
I remember reading this defense from the filmmakers upon hearing the screening reviews. I think I agree with them that the focus is not just Detroit. It harkens to something I've been saying all along: Detroit's problems are America's problems. For whatever reasons all the major problems we as a nation face are collected in Detroit. And for whatever reasons the nation has chosen to largely ignore Detroit.
BUT, if we manage to think about these problems Detroit faces and find solutions, even the smallest baby steps of solutions, than we can certainly solve these problems in other places. Detroit has been described as a clean slate and a place to experiment. I think its important that this experimentation shouldn't just be through art, but through social issues that have plagued our country for decades.
3). The film was a bit ahead of the game
The film was filmed in 2010. This caused one major portion of their film to now be inaccurate, which I at first was angry about, but then realized how great that fact is. In just 2 years, a major program has changed into something far more positive for the city. I can't recall anything that has happened in Detroit in such a short period of time that is good for the city.
At any rate, I remember a quote from one of the people featured in the movie about the gap between the rich and the poor, something that hadn't hit the spotlight in 2010 from things like Governor Romney's 47%. The man being interviewed spoke of how we can't keep pushing the upper and lower classes apart. If we rip apart the middle class there is no buffer. And when there is no buffer you are left with revolution. Startling stuff to think about.
4). The film hit familiar spots, but focused on the people
I think another caveat in filming in Detroit is that your film must contain at least some reference to the 1967 riot. This film actually had footage. Of course the Michigan Central Station was featured in the film and several abandoned plants.
But what I felt the film did a great job of was using people to paint the context of these places. It wasn't just about the riots, but how the riots caused such a great change in the city. It isn't just about giant abandoned buildings, its about the people who used to work in those.
I had the opportunity to chat with a 67-year old man who had grown up in Detroit. He was terrified to be in Detroit helping with the marathon this weekend. I often forget the experiences that people have that shape their lives. His experiences have stuck with him for so long that he was constantly looking over his shoulder in a place that I have never seen anything suspicious. Ever.
Detroit, like any city, is a living, breathing place, and as these historical events happened, people's lives changed.
5). The film focused on the resiliency of the people
This was where I thought the film excelled. The film followed a few people around the city and heard their stories. One was a union leader, one was a nightclub owner, one was a blogger, and others filled in the gaps to make the city breathe.
I think with a place like Detroit it is very easy to find people down in the dumps, people with nothing good to say. I think it'd also be quite easy to find people who would have everything good to say about the city, glazing over the problems in education, poverty, homelessness, unemployment, corruption, and the countless other problems that are a part of the reality in Detroit.
But, this film did something I haven't seen from other pieces about Detroit. It managed to find people who were frank about the situation, but still optimistic about the future. I didn't sense anger about what has happened, just observations of how it happened. And in the end, everyone had a very positive outlook of what was ahead. Well, maybe positive is too strong. I should say that these people had a very realistic ideal of what happens next. Things turn around, like they always do, and things change like they always do. And these people living in Detroit will do the best they can until then.
Leaving the film, everyone was quite somber. The music and the scenes shown were cold and gritty, and it shed some light on the major problems that we as a nation will be facing. It didn't show all the pretty new things happening in the city and the pretty new buildings being redone. But, it did show the true story. From all angles. And most of all, it showed that the people here are not done fighting, even if the rest of the country (and state of Michigan) is.
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