“Detropia” is a documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp, 12th and Delaware, The Boys of Baraka). The film showcases the bleak and hard times Detroit has gone through. The film follows three main Detroiters: Crystal Starr is a video blogger and also works at a local café; Tommy Stephens is a retired school teacher who now owns the Raven Lounge; and George McGregor is the President of the Local 22 United Auto Workers Union. Through these Detroiters you get a glimpse of what life is like in Detroit and what might be the future of the D and America.
Throughout the film you are given facts about Detroit and the United States. People are leaving Detroit at an alarming rate. What once was the fastest growing city in the world has now seen over 100,000 abandoned homes and empty lots in the past 10 years. The film has an appropriately dark and depressing tone to give everyone a wake-up call to what our country is in for. This isn’t an isolated incident. All over the country we have seen people losing their jobs and homes every day. Tommy Stephens gave a great analogy about helping your neighbor if their house is on fire. If you don’t help them then the fire is coming to you. Detroit suffered and didn’t get the help it needed and now that downward spiral is headed to the rest of the nation. The Mayor wanted to try and start a “Detroit Works Project” to move people from sparsely populated neighborhoods to more densely populated neighborhoods. Detroiters were outraged and didn’t think that this would make any difference. Even though there have been many people leaving Detroit there has been an increase of adults under the age of 35 moving into downtown Detroit. The housing is so affordable that it makes it easy for people, especially artists, to purchase a home in the downtown area.
