With the 50th
anniversary of the now world infamous 1967 Detroit riot, arguably the most violent
and destructive riot in U.S. history, looming just around the corner as
director Kathryn Bigelow’s big Hollywood dramatization of the events heads to
it’s Detroit, Michigan premiere, word of mouth of a smaller but decidedly more
intimate take on the defining event in Detroit history, 12th and Clairmount, is quietly spreading through the
Detroit filmgoing community. Entitled 12th and Clairmount, the
epicenter of the catastrophic riot, this homegrown documentary produced and
released by the Detroit Free Press was directed by executive video producer
Brian Kaufman and may be the young filmmaker’s first foray into mainstream
distribution should his detailed and fascinating memoir about the Detroit riot
garner more recognition.
Comprised of archival
newsreel footage, educational shorts and over 400 never before seen home movie
reels donated by Detroit residents to the filmmakers, 12th and Clairmount paints a captivating and informative
portrait of that fateful day which forever changed the Michigan city’s history
and reputation. Having caught one of the
film’s limited theatrical screenings at Cinema Detroit, I can say in just under
two hours I became familiarized with nearly every aspect of an event before my
time which nearly leveled the city to the ground whose impact is still felt by
residents within and outside of Detroit to this very day.
While not offering a clear
cut solution to a problem which if people aren’t careful could well happen
again, 12th and Clairmount
offers a dense overview of the catastrophe
from all sides of the equation and most importantly presents the viewpoints
of those who lived through it. Though as
a documentary 12th and
Clairmount isn’t breaking new ground formally speaking, to have such
unprecedented access to 8mm film archives never thought to have existed detailing
the riot as experienced by the residents living near or within it is truly
remarkable and sets this film apart from other Detroit riot documentaries which
came before it.
As the big budget Hollywood
film prepares to make it’s splash in theaters early August, my friendly
suggestion as a filmgoer and Michigan resident would be to seek out what is
probably the most in-depth portrait of Detroit neighborhoods before and after
the rioting released yet. Functioning as
a time capsule for some and a forewarning for others as the city slowly begins
to rebuild traction with Michigan residents, 12th and Clairmount is a rare piece of local filmmaking
which unlike the upcoming Detroit offers
a unique and enlightening point of view on the defining moment in the city’s
history as told by the people who lived it.
Score:
- Andrew Kotwicki