When William submitted his documentary “Painting the Town: The Street Art of Detroit” in 2018, it was an immediate contender. To quote an interview from the film... “Opportunity exists when you’ve hit the bottom… And optimism brews when there is no other option but to be optimistic.” The first images offered in the Doc confront the viewer with the harsh reality of a fallen American city. A series of stark, snow-covered and vacant homes, businesses and factories set the stage for a story about neglect and decay, a story about faded glory, a story about a broken American Dream. But what helped the film earn our 2018 Best Documentary award was that the story isn’t really about these things at all - instead, it is a story of hope, renewal, creativity and a collective artistic spirit determined to thrive and build something new. What emerges from the immaculately produced and comprehensive interviews and imagery, is a portrait of a city and its citizens, a love letter to a brighter future in the shadow of a “Post-industrial, post-capitalist urban landscape.” It’s a film that illuminates a true “cultural melting pot” where art and artist are equally praised as they work together to redefine and glorify not just one city, but the very foundation of the American dream. The film maturely justifies the unique transition of perspective of the entire community as they grow to embrace and elevate street art from vandalism to legitimate beautification - and throughout, the scope and scale of the artwork are matched by the scope and scale of William’s production. The documentary epitomizes the power of the genre as a vehicle for capturing our physical and emotional history, revealing a new chapter of the homegrown, visual stimulus taking place in Detroit, and William found a way to share this rebirth with all of us… No doubt, this emerging filmmaker is destined for big things... For more info: www.williamhigbie.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/futureoffilm/support