"Detroit Lives" documentary

After seeing the new "Detroit Lives" 32-minute film with Johnny Knoxville, Nolan Finley wrote a piece today that I surprisingly agreed with quite a bit (http://detnews.com/article/20100926/OPINION03/9260306/1008/A-new-vision-for-Detroit).

Basically, the film got him to thinking that maybe the grand vision of Detroit's renaissance as imagined by the "corporate class" isn't the only way or even the best way to bring back Detroit. Maybe, the more direct, hands on, activist approach by the "creative class" is what can bring more lasting results.

The most key passage from his editorial:

"Where the smug urban pioneers of my generation settled in the best neighborhoods, this new breed thrives on Detroit's gritty side.

They're scraping and painting old houses and moving in. They're tearing boards off empty storefronts and opening micro businesses. They're mowing parks, planting gardens and painting murals without asking permission or waiting for master plans.

They have none of their parents' fear of the city, venturing well wide of downtown.

They've discovered Detroit is just the place for those with more ideas than money.

Their faces are often covered with beards and tattoos, but they get the same resistance as the suits do because those faces are mostly white. They break through by embracing Detroit for what it is, and staying in it day and night."

On a side note, the News is sponsoring a local premiere of the film this upcoming Wednesday. The showings will be at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the Burton Theater, 3420 Cass. You can e-mail RSVP@notedcomm.com with "Detroit News" in the subject line, specifying which screening you want to attend, to RSVP.