Today’s Freep featured an interesting article (A Critical Look At Detroit) on the film, Detroit: Ruin of a City:

The documentary is a critical examination of how Detroit has gone from one of the world’s greatest industrial centers to a city increasingly known around the world—especially in academia—as perhaps the best case study of urban decline.

The film uses rarely seen archival footage to depict the dynamic Detroit of Henry Ford and his awesome Rouge plant. Much of the footage, in fact, was made by Ford Motor Co. cameramen.

The documentary also uses interviews and professorial commentary to describe the Detroit of today.

Despite its title, and the fact that the two directors have never lived in the city, they are quick to note their intent was not to bash Detroit. Indeed, they say they love Detroit.

Their film targets suburban flight and racism. And it tackles the complex and controversial question of how the automotive industry both built and abandoned the city.

Detroit: Ruin of a City will premier Friday night, at 8:30 PM in the Rackham Building (UM Central Campus), as part of the Ruins of Modernity Conference.