‘After the Factory’ Comes to Royal Oak March 22

March 21, 2012
By

What happens to a city after industry leaves?

That’s the question “After the Factory” explores in a feature film that shows the regeneration process of two cities with remarkable similarities – Detroit, which is picking up itself after the downsizing and outsourcing have shrunk the automobile industry’s prominence in the labor force, and Lodz, whose textile manufacturing base disintegrated after the fall of communism.

“I got the idea when a guy in the City of Lodz watched a film about Detroit and wrote me a letter through Facebook,” says Philip Lauri, producer and director of “After the Factory.” “The similarities were unbelievable.”


The film profiles several people on both sides of the Atlantic, including Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and the mayor of Lodz, who tell the stories about the fall the struggles of the rebirths of these cities. Despite the crumbling landscapes and the wearily affected people, the film presents glimmers of hope and brightness in optimism and brilliant photography.

“It’s a narrative of the city that’s not all doom and gloom,” Lauri says.

The strength of will of the film was also shown in its financial backing, especially given its international logistics.

“We raised a good deal of money on Kickstarter.com and support from the Swartout Family Foundation,” Lauri says. “We raised the money in 30 days. The public got behind it. It speaks to the strength of the community of Detroit.”

“After the Factory” has been on a worldwide tour of screenings that started at the Detroit Institute of Arts and went through Poland, Germany and the Netherlands in February. It will be shown on Thursday, March 22, at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak. Proceeds from the screening will go towards a project that’s near and dear to Lauri’s heart: a remote control race car track on Georgia Street near Harper and Gratiot in Detroit.

“It will be on a lot that I bought at a tax auction,” Lauri says. “When I brought the idea to the Georgia Street Community Collective, they were all behind it.

“The idea is to create an attraction, something that kids are curious about and want to take part in. After all, there are no remote control race car tracks in the city of Detroit, so it will also be something very unique to them and their neighborhood. Once the track is constructed, kids will have a variety of ways in which they can earn car time– they can volunteer in the GSCC media center, they could help tutor a fellow neighbor with their math homework, they could volunteer with Mark in the garden, take part in the up and coming youth garden market, or a variety of other things. But the point is this: once they have put a little work in, they are rewarded with some good old fashioned fun at the track where they can race cars and have a good time on space that was previously derelict.”

It sounds as if Lauri has a pretty neat vision of what could happen after the factory in Detroit.

This article brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments Royal Oak Michigan, Urbane Apartments Ferndale Michigan,Urbane Apartments Birmingham Michigan, and Urbane Apartments Dearborn Michigan

Bonnie Caprara

Bonnie Caprara

Bonnie Caprara is the Director of PR for Urbane Media. Her career has traversed between print journalism and media relations in the agency world and for private clients. She's also a semi-serious foodie with a penchant for Cheetos.

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    That year it I eat dinner go for a walk outside, the 
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    sunflower seeds, voice chat, at our hands naturally pressed together, at that 
    time I felt that there was a happy strong current through me, then I am kind of 
    tired, I cry on his shoulder, he put his hands around me, I actually fell 
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    listening to the rain drifting away, we were full of dynamic, sometimes through, 
    I quickly put away, for fear that is know, after all this we first closest date, 
    ninety’s popular novels of Qiong Yao, I read countless, I imagine our 
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    just a dream. .I am a genuine rural people ,not the city no good family 
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    day on the farm, the rewards of

    a apple ,the taste is so sweet ,after all these 
    years, I have never tasted so sweet apple .Childhood because of the poor at home 
    ,did not finish ,I dropped out of school .But is completely voluntary .Father no 
    matter how bitter ,also hope we can read more .Can be looked at by the ailing 
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    ,parents and teachers are in the eyes of the naughty child .But I still do not 
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    ,learning things I like .And study are faster than others .But then the 
    countryside idea ,only study hard ,it is the good child .I like to their eyes, 
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    related .And when love writing, and writing .I have many dreams ,wants to be a 
    pop star ,wants to be a painter ,wants to be a dancer .Most want to be a writer 
    .Because I am crazy like read a book ,more like writing .From the beginning of a 
    composition class, I would be this course in literature to live .From writing, 
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    the literature of this road is very difficult .Especially for me .I am a man of 
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    time ,must be all of these stories book .Let you and me share .But every time, 
    always sound in the ear gently said :you wake up, you no culture of rural people 
    .Now middle-aged people to me, have a happy family .I remain in this life ,but 
    in the light to think something should be done .Because my heart has always been 
    an unfulfilled dream ,but for me now, can you as a writer, is not so important 
    .I can only prove myself, just want to tell those who laughed at me, rural 
    people not writing ,rural people not the soil quality soil No .In fact, over the 
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    .Did not think of ,many people appreciate what I write ,including some students 
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    of .The rest of the time they don writing .In fact, the so-called time 
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    think not the future of man .Some good friends help me to introduce several 
    magazine editor ,I am very happy, said their teacher .That my education and 
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    .Several other appearance ,but also is simple with left .They did not see an 
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    habit in the pillow underneath a small book ,a pen ,a flashlight .Often in deep 
    inspiration appears, flashlight to record it .When I began to start to write my 
    first long novel opens ,I only give a not too understand literary people 
    watching ,I know with the most important .Although he does not know ,but he is 
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    me the truth, there is no read on looking good .When he told me ,he had to 
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    hope to continue to read ,I change .Just repeat .Because I think ,at least he 
    can represent the part of the reader psychology .The other one is my husband ,I 
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    in the network world travel ,fighting, is not willing to help me to have a look 
    .I have written works toward him, he would not stay just threw a basin of cold 
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    .Now can again dream die .Then a lot of love my work friends, encourage me to 
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    my birth and education .City people mostly in the bones of discrimination 
    against rural people .Not to mention the fact that Adidas F50 Adizero TRX FG it is not a culture of the 
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    friends, want to come now ,should thank him for his encouragement .I remember 
    clearly ,a netizen in the article I wrote ,ask my educational background and 
    birth and my job .Because he thought I was a teacher .And I sincerely, let me 
    suffer great humiliation .When he knew that I is a village ,he disdains saying I 
    was a swift attack others works ,show off the poor woman ,no self knowledge 
    village .I do not have the ability to learn from those great writers ,chew .What 
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    show off what ,I just do what you want .Does rural people writing is wrong ,did 
    not graduate can write it .I am at the screen laughed ,because I suddenly 
    understand ,he says ,is not

    to prove I article he also appreciate it .Enjoy didn 
    believe that I write this village .Funny ,a bit ironic .Later befriended by a 
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    the subconscious will give you a low score ,also sentenced you to death .There 
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    white-collar ,high-rise .What is the unmarried girl ,you must be on your works 
    are also of interest .There are people who will take the initiative to do your 
    teacher ,to guide you .After hearing her talk with eloquence ,I have to admit 
    ,she said that there is a degree of truth .I don dare put his armed another 
    person .I continue to persist with the true face of face my readers .I believe 
    that gold will shine .So I still adhere to the principles ,alone in the 
    literature ,this holy soil exploration .In the thorns with adversity veteran .I 
    started to some small literary website published an article ,hold on .All seemed 
    to be well than I imagined ,I made a few articles are adopted ,and the click 
    rate is very high .At first I was a little excited .Can calm down ,I suspect ,is 
    not such a small site ,what articles are available through the .So in order to 
    verify my doubts ,I decided to go to the great literary website is published, to 
    start ,to tea .But there exception ,my article on these sites ,also without 
    exception have passed .At this time, I was a bit confused ,a bit at a loss .I 
    don ,they are the threshold is too low ,or my writing is really good .Maybe this 
    time mood is not self-confidence .I still can ,I write the article, and here we 
    can so smoothly through .And then I met a literary editor of the website ,my 
    stupid put this question to him .He told me with a smile ,and no articles made 
    can be passed .There must be a readable only by .He said I was not confident 
    .For rural people, family owners these title has been rooted in my heart ,not 
    only other people don ,I don believe myself .His words make me free ,is that 
    true Has always been my own eyes to see themselves in wearing .He told me ,as 
    long as own as a purely literary ,a writer .Don how others see ,don always put 
    those titles themselves moved out of pressure .Now ,I can already be calm to 
    continue my writing career ,no matter how in the future ,I will continue, 
    because people can not dream .In order to dream ,I will refuel .Regardless of 
    the preceding way more difficult ,I can .See their article was recommended by 
    some literature forum website ,recommend ,be reproduced .I have more power 
    struggle .Because my work to be recognized ,because my work can move the reader 
    .So I .A netizen ever message ,read my work ,he said he was in tears .He said 
    the first time seeing others articles ,and tears .Is a girl .His message ,and I 
    see a few times the article .I want to find people who will let him moved to 
    tears for text .But after reading it, I also cried .Because the first time to 
    write their own articles and cry .Now life track, children also horses could the 
    kindergarten, also began to have more time ,so I started to write second novels 
    .My biggest wish is ,there is one day out of his book ,and then proudly holding 
    her books to the son ,to family, to friends .Tell them ,whether you are a rural 
    people, or college students, as long as there is a dream ,there is hope .In the 
    season of entrance guard Seek poetry poetry season for season the crossing nodes 
    resting sails, cold arms I unrequited sleep monsoon not apologize don’t believe 
    season message flow wind over the traces the vicissitudes of the coverage of the 
    coast and I believe the day with eyes, and muttered vernacular wandering, stop, 
    look back, then, in the poem there is the Acacia Acacia color more poetic 
    language to keep the season into the space in the poem means connected leaves 
    season magnificence tree roots happy Fall hanging in the heart of the infinite 
    joy spread by season
    in full nightmare, from 



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