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Detropia

  • 20122012
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 30min
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • IMDbPro
Detropia (2012)
A documentary on the city of Detroit and its woes, which are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base.
Play trailer2:25
2 Videos
7 Photos
Documentary

A documentary on the city of Detroit and its woes, which are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base.A documentary on the city of Detroit and its woes, which are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base.A documentary on the city of Detroit and its woes, which are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base.

IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Heidi Ewing
    • Rachel Grady
  • Stars
    • Noah Stewart
    • Rachele Gilmnore
    • Michael Wanko
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Heidi Ewing
    • Rachel Grady
  • Stars
    • Noah Stewart
    • Rachele Gilmnore
    • Michael Wanko
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 15User reviews
    • 37Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 9 wins & 6 nominations

    Videos2

    Theatrical Version
    Trailer 2:25
    Theatrical Version
    Detropia
    Trailer 2:24
    Detropia

    Photos7

    Detropia (2012)
    Detropia (2012)
    Detropia (2012)
    Detropia (2012)
    Detropia (2012)
    Detropia (2012)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Noah Stewart
    • Singer: Featured Tenoras Singer: Featured Tenor
    Rachele Gilmnore
    • Singer: Also Featired at the Detroit Opera Gouyseas Singer: Also Featired at the Detroit Opera Gouyse
    Michael Wanko
    • Singer: Also Featured at the Detroit Opera Houseas Singer: Also Featured at the Detroit Opera House
    Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra
    • Musicians: Detroit Opera Goyseas Musicians: Detroit Opera Goyse
    The Nyce Band
    • Performers: The Raven Loungeas Performers: The Raven Lounge
    94 East
    • Performers: The Raven Loungeas Performers: The Raven Lounge
    Luann French
    • Additional Musician: Violin Sampleas Additional Musician: Violin Sample
    Schuyler Campbell
    • Additional Musician: Keysas Additional Musician: Keys
    Todd Cochell
    • Additional Musician: Keysas Additional Musician: Keys
    Dave Graw
    • Additional Musician: Vibesas Additional Musician: Vibes
    Crystal Starr
    • Selfas Self
    George McGregor
    • Selfas Self
    Tommy Stephens
    • Selfas Self
    David Dichiera
    • Selfas Self
    Dave Bing
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    Andrew J. Gray
    • Selfas Self
    • Directors
      • Heidi Ewing
      • Rachel Grady
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

    Storyline

    Edit
    The woes of Detroit are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base. Is the Midwestern icon actually a canary in the American coal mine? DETROPIA is a cinematic tapestry of a city and its people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising. —Loki Films
    manufacturingurban decaydeindustrializationdownsizingcar manufacturing58 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genre
      • Documentary
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Quotes

      Tommy Stephens: Capitalism is a great system - I love it; but it exploits the weak. It always does. Unfortunately.

    • Soundtracks
      I Am Coming For My Things
      Written by Missy Mazzoli

      Performed by Victoire

      Courtesy of Missy Mazzoli Music and Good Child Music, Domind Publishing, New Amsterdam Records

    User reviews15

    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    Not going to negotiate ... what?
    Greetings again from the darkness. Admittedly, I am tough on documentaries. My expectations are quite high. Reason being, documentary filmmakers need not be burdened with fluffy entertainment requirements. Instead, they can tell a story, debate an issue, or expose a wrong. Wasted opportunities annoy me.

    Have you heard anything about the economic hardships in the city of Detroit? Of course you have. It's been a story for more than two decades. So a documentary "exposing" the hardships in Detroit should at least offer a different perspective, debate options, or discuss the challenges of progress. Otherwise, it's a wasted opportunity, which is what we have here.

    The film is beautifully photographed and very well put together. It's just missing a reason to exist. It's a clump of different pieces that don't fit and provide little insight. We get a clueless local union president who is clinging to the past and offering no help to his constituents. We get some obscure video blogger whose main credentials seem to be that she lives in Detroit and has her own camera. We get a couple of guys sitting on a front porch making fun of any efforts by local officials to develop solutions.

    There seems to have been a very narrow focus on choosing who to interview. At least Tommy Stevens, a local bar owner, is an interesting guy to follow around. He holds out hope that GM will open a Chevy Volt plant and spur business at his club, so he can re-hire his cook. His hopes are dashed when he attends a local auto show and finds out that China has an electric car that at a significantly lower price than Chevy. He recalls the days that stubborn US automakers refused to acknowledge upstart Honda in the US.

    We are offered brief glimpses into some type of town hall meeting and the absolute rejection by the union of the "last" offer from American Axle. We are shown a few clips from inside the Detroit Opera, which the Big 3 automakers continue to finance. Lastly, we are introduced to a couple of young artists, who are part of a growing trend of relocations to inner city Detroit to take advantage of the low rents and low housing costs.

    All of the above are interesting enough, but again, it's been two decades and we only get one angry lady spouting off about Mayor Dave Bing's seemingly appropriately creative idea of consolidating the outlying areas into a smaller geographic area, so the city can provide services for its citizens and start the process of healing and growing.

    There seem to be two real issues worth analyzing. First is the unwillingness of so many to accept that change has already occurred ... so fighting change is a lost cause. Your city is broke. No need to make things worse. Secondly, looking into the true cause of the downturn could lead to interesting discussions of greed. Corporate greed as well as the greed of the people. The Chinese can make a car (and TV's, washing machines, etc) so much cheaper because they are not holding on to our standard of living. Detroit has been called the birthplace of the middle class, but just what is that definition today? These are some of the discussions that need to be had. Just one more look at houses being torn down and empty hotels ... all with the shiny GM towers in the background ... is just a re-hash of what we already know. So yes, the wasted opportunity has me annoyed.
    helpful•38
    18
    • ferguson-6
    • Dec 2, 2012

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 21, 2012 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Детропия
    • Filming locations
      • Detroit, Michigan, USA
    • Production company
      • Loki Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $390,024
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $17,414
      • Sep 9, 2012
    • Gross worldwide
      • $390,024
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 30min
    • Color
      • Color

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