The Baltimore premier of After the Factory is happening tonight at Windup Space at 8:00 pm, no cover. The film explores the crisis in the global economy while recognizing that though the current economic disruption feels like a local problem to residents of post-industrial cities, it’s actually a global challenge that we’re all struggling to cope with. It’s this realization that opens up dialogue and allows us to move towards progress together. Filmmaker Philip Lauri will be on hand to discuss the film after the screening.
Screen capture from After The Factory
After the Factory is a product of DETROIT LIVES!, a creative agency and social brand based based out of its namesake city. Its founder, Philip Lauri moved to Detroit in 2008. Much like the story of What Weekly, DETROIT LIVES! was born with the loose idea of creating content that shifted perception of the city. Another parallel to What Weekly is that the company provides design services to clients within the city, and also produces regular content, including murals, short films, and guerilla art. What Weekly’s founders also support their publishing exploits by providing creative services to clientele via their sister company, Brooke Hall Creative.
Screen capture from After The Factory
From the films description:
“Detroit, Michigan has been running on fumes since the fall of the auto industry and Poland’s textile industry in Lodz has been hanging by a thread since the fall of communism. In both cities, their populations have fled, their unemployment has spiked, and now, they’re both knee-deep in the pressures of re-building their economies.
After the Factory presents an opportunity to learn from these two diametrically different cultures as their entire way of life transitions to something new. Stories from the citizens are inspiring. Ideas from community leaders are thought-provoking. Free-thinking entrepreneurs are putting a new spin on traditional concepts of growth.
Change is inevitable. And as the people in each city propel Detroit and Lodz into the future, this trans-continental dialogue allows the global community to see how these fallen giants, troubled as they are, just might be the innovators writing the new rulebook for next generation cities.”
Screen capture from After The Factory
The film already boasts a sold out premiere in Detroit of over 1,200 people, an official selection from the Traverse City Film Festival and has been heralded by Michael Moore as an interesting and worthwhile endeavor to compare the two trans-continental cities.
The 10 city “Rust Belt” tour was designed to visit other cities, like Detroit and Lodz, who themselves are trying to redefine what a city is and means, once industry has disappeared. The includes stops in Chagrin Falls, OH.; Bay City, MI; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; Milwaukee, WI ; Greenbelt, MD; Youngstown, OH; Cleveland, OH; Dayton, OH; and of course, Baltimore.
Screen capture from After The Factory
The film both paints a grim picture of the reality facing cities with changing economies, but also provides hope and optimism that positive growth is on the way. Ultimately, the filmmakers hope to inspire dialogue in communities undergoing similar restructurings as Detroit, as we all move forward, together, into the future.
After the Factory is being screened tonight at The Windup Space. The screening starts at 8PM, and will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers after. For more info on the screening, please visit www.thewindupspace.com
Click here to visit the official After The Factory Website
Watch a brand new video from DETROIT LIVES! “After The Factory: On The Road” :
