The Detroit Historical Society continues its monthly film series with “Borderline: The Story of 8 Mile Road,” showing Saturday and Sunday, February 9 & 10 at 1 p.m. at the Detroit Historical Museum. Each screening is free to the public.
This
1997 Emmy-winning film, written and produced by Gary Glaser and Dave
Toorongian, directed by Gary Glaser, and narrated by Kim
Hunter; captures the spirit and eccentricity of metro Detroit's most
provocative thoroughfare. No other road in Michigan evokes a response like
the one you get when you mention 8 Mile. From topless dancers and the
neighborhood groups that battle them, to storefront preachers and the homeless
people they minister, 8 Mile remains our area’s most notorious boundary.
Thoughtful
commentary from Jerry Herron, director of American Studies, and Ronald
Stephens, associate professor of Communications (both from Wayne State
University), provides context and analysis. The documentary also features an
interview with Mr. Belvedere, whose office is on 8 Mile, as well as clips
from some of his classic commercials. Part history, part pop culture, this film,
like a ride down 8 Mile, is both thought-provoking and entertaining. The run
time for the film is 30 minutes, and it does contain explicit language so viewer
discretion is advised..
The
Film Series at the Detroit Historical Museum is supported by the Michigan
Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the
Arts.
The
Detroit Historical Museum, located at 5401 Woodward Ave. (NW corner of Kirby) in
Midtown Detroit, is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to
4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free for all,
all the time. Parking in the Museum’s lot is $5 at all times. Group tour pricing
and information is available by calling (313) 833-1733. Permanent exhibits
include the famous Streets of Old Detroit, the Allesee Gallery of
Culture, Kid Rock Music Lab, Doorway to Freedom: Detroit and the
Underground Railroad, Detroit: The “Arsenal of Democracy,”
Frontiers to Factories, America’s Motor City, and The Glancy
Trains. For more information, call the Museum at (313) 833-1805 or
check out our website at www.detroithistorical.org.