Directors of the captivating documentary Jesus Camp, Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, are back with a new project, one focusing on the city of Detroit. Premiering at Sundance – where it won the top editing prize for its genre – Detropia follows a series of different stories of people living in the city including the mayor, a union worker at a local auto factory, a waitress, a nightclub owner, young artists and scrap metal salvagers.
We’ve got the first trailer for the film and it looks to be a compelling tale of a city in despair. Going to college in Buffalo, NY, comparisons were often made between the poor economic situation in both cities. It will be interesting to see this on a larger scale with this documentary, but my only fear is that the filmmakers may spread their focus too thin by taking a more over-the-top, general look at the issues. Nonetheless, it may be a tough watch, but one that’s worthwhile and you can get a glimpse with the trailer below.
Synopsis:
The film is about Detroit, a city everybody knows. It’s called DETROPIA, and with it’s vivid, painterly palette and haunting score the film plays like poetry in motion as it sculps a dreamlike collage of a grand city teetering on the brink of dissolution. DETROPIA is a cinematic tapestry that chronicles the lives of several Detroiters trying to survive and make sense of what is happening to their city.
Detropia hits theaters on September 7th.