Detroit gave the world its sound. The world never gave Detroit its theaters back. Detroit has a pattern. It creates something extraordinary and the world takes it.

Techno was born here. In basements. By Black artists who poured everything into a sound that would eventually fill arenas in Berlin, London, and beyond. And somewhere along the way, the origin story got rewritten.

The same city that gave the world that music has spent decades without a downtown cinema. Over 300 theaters, gone. Big promises broken. The nearest commercial theater is still a 40-minute roundtrip from downtown.

Both of those stories come together at Campus Martius Park.

God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines, the acclaimed documentary correcting the record on Detroit Techno’s Black origins, screens free. For everyone. 

The screening is hosted by Treuse Cinema, a boutique cinema concept working to bring film back to the heart of this city for good. And kickoff the Electric Roots Film Festival.

Jennifer Washington is the producer of God Said Give Em Drum Machines and the founder of the Electric Roots Film Festival. Kiara Williams is the founder of Treuse Cinema.

Both joined The Metro to talk more about the event and what this moment means for the city and techno. 

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In recent years, notable art theatres in metro Detroit have shuttered or completely changed the way they operate. 

Main Art Theatre which was in Royal Oak and Cinema Detroit which was based in midtown Detroit are recent examples. They both showed more niche, independent or foreign films you could not catch at a commercial movie theatre. The Main Art Theatre was demolished and replaced with apartments, and Cinema Detroit now operates as a pop-up. 

When theatres like them closed, John Monaghan and Kevin Maher became motivated to build a community that replicates the experience they provided.

The two started Motor City Cinematheque which is a series of art film screenings that will take place over the next few weeks. It supports independent, niche, art films and theatres in the metro area. John Monaghan joined the show to discuss their upcoming screenings and what they provide for the Detroit film community.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro