Detroit Wild City

Colour, HD CAM
France, 2010, 80 min
Section: Documentary Films in Competition

Synopsis

It’s a wonder that more post-apocalyptic films like Mad Max aren’t shot in Detroit – derelict houses lining empty streets in the centre of town, abandoned by more than half the population, where you’re more likely to come across pitbulls than cars – it’s simply the perfect location. Yet in the past Detroit was a highly productive bastion of American industry and people certainly didn’t have anything to complain about, as we’ll see from the archive footage in this spellbinding documentary by French director Florent Tillon. The guides on this hypnotic journey through contemporary Detroit are people from all walks of life – a local philosopher, pianist, stray dog catcher, and even a guy who can fix practically anything. The polished visual compositions from this "ghost town,” together with the subtle soundtrack and intriguing characters, make for a truly unique picture.

About the director

Florent Tillon (b. New Caledonia, South Pacific) now lives in Paris. In his work he focuses chiefly on the landscape and endeavours to capture the fusion of nature with culture. As a self-taught filmmaker he first came up with the documentary Observatory (L’observatoire, 2007), which was followed by an hour-long film about a rabbit colony trapped in the middle of a roundabout in the centre of Paris, Porte Maillot Traffic Circle (Rond-point de la Porte Maillot, 2007). This film delighted producer Pierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin to the extent that he invited Tillon to collaborate on the documentary Detroit Wild City (Detroit ville sauvage, 2010). Other films: Las Vegas Meditation (2009), Gran Scala, the Last Western (Gran Scala, le dernier western, 2009).