Last Days of Chinatown: The Takeover of Detroit 2018
Distributed by The Video Project, 145 - 9th St., Suite 102, San Francisco, CA 94103; 800-475-2638
Produced by Nicole MacDonald
Directed by Nicole MacDonald
Streaming, 65 mins
General Adult
Area Studies; Documentaries; Urban Areas
Date Entered: 05/29/2020
Reviewed by Alex Harrington, Access Services & Instruction Librarian, Harrell Health Sciences Library, Penn State UniversityThe Cass Corridor area of Detroit has undergone many enormous changes in its history, and that isn't stopping anytime soon. This documentary serves two important purposes: to showcase the history and culture of this ever-changing area, and to document its current state before it is subjected to yet another complete remake, irrevocably changing its facade and the culture that lays beneath.
Interviews with locals in the area give a wide range of opinions and viewpoints about the neighborhood and its past, present, and future, sharing tales of poverty, drugs and sex work, violence, homelessness, and gentrification, but also of diversity, comfort, and home. The interviews have a very personal feel, inviting the viewer to have a conversation about Cass Corridor, in Cass Corridor.
The overall story is critical of Ilitch and Gilbert, the two billionaires who seem to be divvying up downtown Detroit and forcing their vision on people who have history there, but it also celebrates the history of the locals in their own right.
Awards:
Official Selection, Ann Arbor Film Festival; Official Selection, Freep Film Festival; Official Selection, New Media Film Festival; Official Selection, Harlem International Film Festival