LET'S HAVE SOME CHURCH DETROIT STYLE

For the past many years, the city of Detroit has received a lot of attention on air, and in print. But few of the reports have been positive. The city went bankrupt, the teachers went on strike, and 10,000 abandoned buildings are waiting for demolition. Director Andrew Sacks, a Detroit native, teamed up with Dr. E. LaQuint Weaver II, founder and director of the Hallelujah Singers, to showcase another side of the city, and the people who live there. The result is Let’s Have Some Church Detroit Style, a 60 minute documentary film about a community gospel choir, and the weave of music, faith, and fellowship that creates the fabric of their success. In this film you will have a chance to meet the twenty-five men and women singing in this all-star choir. Founded in 1992, the Hallelujah Singers and musicians show us that in a city recovering from bankruptcy, wealth is not always counted in dollars and cents. In seven film portraits of young and old choir members, we see that their community, their convictions, and their music sustain and enrich them. Tales of personal challenges are offset with plenty of joyous gospel music filmed in churches, studios, and even living rooms in the city. Part of the film chronicles the choir’s trip to Birmingham, Alabama, where they won awards in a gospel music competition. Mr. Sacks himself is a hometown product. Born in Detroit, he attended the University of Michigan where he studied art and journalism. His associate producer Patrick Murphy, also a Detroit native, lives and works in Ann Arbor. Detroiter Rev. Robert Jones, a bluesman, and radio personality joins forces with Prof. Deborah Smith-Pollard to guide viewers through the city and the history of its spirited music traditions.