They may have written Detroit off, but nobody bothered to tell Mark MacInnis.
Mark has wowed Ondi and Vlad with his filmmaking and commitment to action through art. His release, “Urban Roots,” has shown the effect of urban farming on Detroit, and he has gone the extra step of helping start urban farming programs in city high schools.
The show today explores political action and urban rejuvenation with this fresh new talent, and he speaks with total candor about the process of making the film and going beyond the role of observer.
Watch new episodes of BYOD live each week on Tuesdays at noon on TheLip.TV, or tune in for the archived replay starting here on the following Thursday.
ABOUT BYOD:
BYOD is co-hosted by Ondi Timoner, director of “DIG!,” “JOIN US” and “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC,” and has the rare distinction of winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance twice, and Vladimir Radovanov, entertainment attorney, and executive producer of “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC.” Each week the show explores a different documentary filmmaker or aspect of filmmaking, with special guests and a live Q&A– diving deep into creative process and the business realities of producing and distributing films. Ondi and Vladimir share their insider views, opinions, and personal stories, welcoming audience participation. BYOD aims to entertain, inform, and elevate documentaries in general by bringing attention to films and film makers that deserve exposure.
GUEST BIO:
A native of Detroit, Mark MacInnis has been witness to the ongoing collapse of his hometown with the failing local economy. Having worked on other film projects, Mark elected to put his expecience into action by making “Urban Roots.”
Financing the movie himself by waiting tables, and spotlighting the efforts of local humble citizens of the motor city, Mark has shown himself to be an emblematic independent filmmaker. Beyond being an artist, Mark has gone the extra step of founding the Urban Roots-Field of Dreams project, which is creating small farms in urban high schools to educate young people in the realities of food growing. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
ADD’L LINKS:
http://twitter.com/!/mark_macinnis
http://urbanrootsamerica.com/urbanrootsamerica.com/TheFilm.html
http://urbanrootsamerica.com/urbanrootsamerica.com/PutFarmsInSchools.html
http://treemedia.com/treemedia.com/Urban_Roots.html
EPISODE BREAKDOWN:
00:01 Show Intro.
01:06 Welcoming Mark MacInnis.
01:33 Mark’s roots in Detroit, and seeing the city go barren.
04:04 Shooting the film and illuminating urban farming.
06:07 Discovering urban farms and deciding to shoot the film.
08:29 “City lot gardens,” clip.
11:05 Overcoming the notion of farming being dis-empowering.
13:44 Defining a “food desert.”
14:46 Former Mayor Dennis Archer, clip.
15:21 “Love, Keith Love,” clip.
18:31 The Earthworks program and farming on unused land.
19:46 “Counting Goats,” clip.
21:11 How the city has threatened urban growers of Detroit.
22:35 Detroit–ahead of the curve as post-industrial.
23:39 The factory farm model comes to Detroit.
25:35 Factory vs. local farms, clip.
27:45 The direct correlation from working on a farm to gainful employment.
28:23 Creating the film with only a modest network,borrowed cameras and positivity.
31:07 Going from PA to only working on “Urban Growth.”
31:49 Taking the film on the road and creating a new distribution model based on volunteers.
33:39 The music in the film.
34:54 The Daily Dig Down.
39:32 Thanks to Mark and bye!
