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Sustainability Series: WE ARE NOT GHOSTS

Watch Trailer Director: Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young

Playing one night only as part of the Common Experience Project on Sustainability Series:
Wednesday, October 2nd at 7:00
Panel and audience discussion to follow screening

Fifty years ago Detroit was booming with two million people living the American Dream. Then the auto industry crashed and so did the Motor City. Most moved away; whole neighborhoods turned into wastelands. The film explores the community resilience movement in Detroit. WE ARE NOT GHOSTS tells the stories: from community businesses, to place-based schools, to thriving urban gardens and spoken word artists.

The film presents a compelling vision for the transformation of contemporary American Society: building new forms of community and cooperation from below in ways that demonstrate that ‘another world is possible.

“In an era which persists in treating cities as disposable, We Are Not Ghosts forcefully reminds us that people are not. Without glossing over the problems facing the people of Detroit, the film paints a collective portrait of surprisingly resilient urban communities, engaged in the inspiring work of inventing a life together in the wake of deindustrialization.”

Dr. Gar Alperovitz, Professor of Political Economy, Co-founder of The Democracy Collaborative, University of Maryland, Author, America Beyond Capitalism

“This film is a testament to the human spirit. It’s a narrative of perseverance, creativity and innovation as Detroiters build sustainable and healthy communities in the face of long-term deindustrialization and the acute shock of the foreclosure crisis. We Are Not Ghosts has important lessons for scholars, policy makers and practitioners interested in rebuilding our distressed urban landscape.”

Dr. Derek Hyra, Associate Professor of Urban Affairs, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Author, The New Urban Renewal: The Economic Transformation of Harlem and Bronzeville

“A compelling documentation of an unparalleled time in American history. Through stories of struggle and strength, loss and love, We Are Not Ghosts captures the possibilities and transformative power of grassroots, community organizing efforts.”

Rebekah Farrugia, Assistant Professor of Communication, Oakland University

“We Are Not Ghosts presents a compelling vision for the transformation of contemporary American Society: building new forms of community and cooperation from below in ways that demonstrate that ‘another world is possible.'”

Erik Olin Wright, Professor of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, President, American Sociological Association, Author, Envisioning Real Utopias

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Running Time: 52 Minutes52 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible