Urban Roots is a unique documentary in that it is not about a problem; it’s about a solution. The film follows groups of farmers in Detroit, Mich., who cultivate farmland within the city limits.
The film portrays the city as one in which the American Dream has gone to die – the automotive industry having promised so much to the residents, only to bail even as the residents bailed out the industry itself. With so many abandoned homes, lots and areas that qualify as food deserts – areas lacking in fresh food, despite an abundance of fast-food – the residents are looking for a way to salvage their city. Many residents have since turned unused land into working farms that feed the homeless and local families and also earn money by supplying farmers’ markets with organic, locally grown foods.
Director Mark MacInnis and producers Leila Conners and Mathew Schmid follow a cast of colorful characters while profiling various working farms throughout the city. Antagonists include members of local government, who would rather hold onto the land until profitable corporations come calling on Detroit again, and agro-entrepreneurs who sense that farming in the city has profit potential and are looking to industrialize it.
“The biggest threat [to urban farming] is that cities don’t want it to happen,” Conners said. “There’s zero understanding of where it’s heading.”
She said that the cities would rather bring in a Wal-mart to generate jobs but “Wal-mart doesn’t necessarily provide enough jobs for a sustainable economy.” Urban farming, she said, is the response to the challenge of having no viable local economy, adding that it is “a wonderful thing to see.”
What results is an uplifting film that demonstrates that there are people still fighting against a food system that isn’t working. Urban Roots provides a model for what cities could do on a large scale. The film is touring as part of the Whole Foods Do Something Reel Film Festival, which is traveling through cities across the country. The film is also available for purchase on DVD from the film’s official Web site.
For more information, visit urbanrootsamerica.com.
