“Urban farming” has been a big buzz phrase in Detroit over the last couple of years, but while many people realize that Detroit is on the forefront of this urban sustainability movement simply because of its vast stretches of unutilized land, the deeper implications of such a radical shift in food acquisition and allocation systems are a little less easily understood. Urban Roots, a documentary from filmmaker Mark MacInnis, explores the social impact of urban farming and community gardens in Detroit – and what it might mean for the rest of the world.
“Urban farming is very important in the post-industrial world we’re facing,” producer Leila Conners states. Conners got involved with the project after MacInnis, a native of Detroit who now lives in LA, showed her team some of the farming footage he shot. “Detroit used to be on the top of the hill for industry. People don’t connect lost jobs with abandoned structures and homes that have been gutted.” The documentary offers glimpses of Detroit’s well-publicized plight but also shows the spirit of those who’ve suffered the harshest blows who are now taking it back.
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