Director Kathryn Bigelow's new film Detroit depicts one of the most horrific events of the 1967 rebellion: a night of terror at the Algiers Motel, a night that left three young black men dead at the hands of white police officers.
Detroit had its world premiere this week at the Fox Theatre, just blocks away from where buildings burned, bullets flew, and 43 people died.
The gravity of what happened 50 years ago this week was very much on the minds of Detroit's cast and crew, along with hopes for the kinds of conversations and thoughts the film might inspire.
“I’ve been doing this for probably close to 30 years, and this was the most emotional experience I’ve ever had cutting a film," said Oscar-winning editor William Goldenberg. "I mean the story is so tragic. And you feel so much for the characters.”
He hopes the film will spark conversations about "police violence and criminality, and treating police criminality the same as any form of criminality."
Listen above to hear from actors Chris Chalk, Laz Alonso, Algee Smith, Hannah Murray, Will Poulter, and Ben O’Toole.
Detroit opens in Detroit on Friday. The movie opens nationwide on Aug. 4.
From July 17-28, Michigan Radio is looking back at Detroit in 1967, the Summer of Rebellion. We’ll explore the issues that led to one of the deadliest civil disturbances in American history, and examine why it still resonates in the city today.
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