About Detroit: Living in Ghost Town
In 2013, Detroit, once the booming heartbeat of the American auto industry and the home of Motown, declared bankruptcy. As car factories moved abroad, over a million residents left, turning "Motown" into a ghost town. But inside one small Detroit barbershop, the soul of the city is still alive. Meet Roberto (73), a legendary local barber who once styled the iconic hair of Motown’s biggest stars. Today, soul music still blares from his jukebox, and his regular customers, mostly over 70, still come in for the classic Chuck Berry glam hairdo. Barber Shop Detroit is a moving short documentary about pride, survival, and nostalgia in the face of economic decay. It’s a story of how holding onto the past helps a community endure the present. As one customer puts it: “If you take care of your hair, your hair will take care of you.” Barber Shop Episode 3 - Detroit / USA Director: Luc Vrydaghs Producer: Emmy Oost Production: Cassette for timescapes
Detroit: Living in Ghost Town is presented by Best Documentary. Its listed runtime is 25 minutes. The source link and publisher attribution are provided with the embedded film.
As a society documentary, Detroit: Living in Ghost Town uses detroit, living, ghost as its central frame. Social documentaries work best as invitations to examine systems through lived experience. Distinguish individual testimony from wider claims, and consider which institutions, incentives and inequalities shape the choices shown.
What to consider before watching
- What evidence, testimony or observation does the film use to explain detroit, living, ghost?
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Topics covered in this documentary
Documentary details and original source
- Title
- Detroit: Living in Ghost Town
- Category
- Society
- Runtime
- 25 minutes
- Language
- English
- Publisher
- Best Documentary
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