2022 Freep Film Festival kicks off with premiere of Detroit bankruptcy documentary

Lauren Wethington, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
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The 2022 Freep Film Festival kicked off with a bang Wednesday night as moviegoers flocked to the Detroit Institute of Arts' Detroit Film Theatre for the sold-out premiere of the documentary, "Gradually, Then Suddenly: The Bankruptcy of Detroit."

The documentary — which in 2021 won the $200,000 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film — utilizes interviews, reenactments and archival footage to tell the story of Detroit's 2013 bankruptcy.

“(Co-director) James McGovern and I are honored to be the opening act (for the Freep Film Fest),” said the film's director Sam Katz. “We really wanted to make sure that the community of Detroit, not just those who worked the case, were represented in this film.”

The screening was attended by key players in Detroit's bankruptcy case, including emergency financial manager Kevyn Orr, former Democratic Michigan House of Representatives member Thomas Stallworth III and human rights activist Monica Lewis-Patrick — all of whom took the stage after the film for a panel discussion moderated by Free Press columnist Nancy Kaffer.

People wait for the start of the film during the opening night of Freep Film Festival with the film “Gradually, Then Suddenly:The Story of the Detroit Bankruptcy” at the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
People wait for the start of the film during the opening night of Freep Film Festival with the film “Gradually, Then Suddenly:The Story of the Detroit Bankruptcy” at the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.

The lingering effects of Detroit's bankruptcy case were on display during the discussion as several attendees made impassioned jabs at members of the panel — especially Orr, who one critic accused of "robbing Black people" of pensions and healthcare.

"I came to the city as-is," Orr countered, arguing that prior city leadership had dug a hole too deep for Detroit to escape. "They invested in a casino. They bought a private jet. They squandered $1.5 billion, which would have been $7.5 billion by today, and consequently the city did not have the ability to pay that money into pensions."

The discussion stayed heated as Lewis-Patrick tangled with Orr, reminding him that his actions have "destroyed lives."

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"I'm not a pensioner of the city of Detroit, but I've fought valiantly for the pensioners of the city," Lewis-Patrick said. "I'm trying to respond on behalf of a community that is still reeling from the bad decisions that you were authorized to make."

The Freep Film Festival runs through May 1 at venues across metro Detroit. For the full schedule of films, visit freepfilmfestival.com.

People sit in their seats during the opening night of Freep Film Festival with the film Gradually, Then Suddenly:The Story of the Detroit Bankruptcy at the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
People sit in their seats during the opening night of Freep Film Festival with the film Gradually, Then Suddenly:The Story of the Detroit Bankruptcy at the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.

Lauren Wethington is a breaking news reporter. You can email her at LGilpin@freepress.com or find her on Twitter at @laurenelizw1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit bankruptcy doc kicks off 2022 Freep Film Festival