Facing dwindling public services, growing inequality and escalating violence, three Detroit men must fight to build something lasting for themselves and future generations.

Now streaming on OVID.TV, Apple TV, Amazon, Kanopy and Vimeo on Demand via First Run Features.

Directed by Andrew James
Produced by Sara Archambault, Katie Tibaldi
Cinematography by Andrew James
Edited by Andrew James, Jason Tippet
Music by Shigeto

SYNOPSIS
In a rapidly changing America where mass inequality and dwindling opportunity have devastated the black working class, three Detroit men must fight to build something lasting for themselves and future generations. Street Fighting Men takes a deep, observational dive into the lives of retired cop Jack Rabbit, who continues to patrol his own neighborhood as a citizen; Deris, who wants to further his education and serve as a role model for his baby daughter; and Luke, who labors mightily to rehab a dilapidated house while pulling together a meager living. Shot over three years in the neighborhoods of Detroit, Street Fighting Men is a story of hard work, faith and manhood in a community that never settles for defeat.

FESTIVALS / AWARDS
Winner - Spirit Award, Brooklyn Film Festival
Winner - Special Jury Award, Lake County Film Festival
Official Selection - Independent Film Festival Boston (IFFBoston)
Official Selection - San Francisco Documentary Festival (SF DocFest)
Official Selection - Rhode Island International Film Festival (Flickers)
Official Selection - Through the Lens Screening Series (Utah Film Center and Radio West)
Official Selection - St. Louis International Film Festival
Official Selection - Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
Official Selection - Athens International Film and Video Festival
Official Selection - Freep Film Festival
Official Selection - Ghent Viewpoint Documentary Film Festival
Official Selection - Brooklyn Film Festival
Official Selection - Lake County Film Festival

PRESS QUOTES
“Compelling. Stories of the death and rebirth of [Detroit] are familiar, but Andrew James’s documentary conveys the experience of living there. From the beginning there’s an undercurrent of weariness, of the wear and tear of living in a place to which the rest of the world — or rather, the movie strongly implies, the white world, the money world — has grown indifferent.”
- Glenn Kenny, The New York Times

"A painful but honest depiction of black life in urban Detroit, featuring multifaceted men striving against the odds. A portrait of black resilience and perseverance — without sentimentality — that stands in stark contrast to the one-dimensional stories of transformation, but still offers a way out of the dark."
- April Wolfe, Film Critic & Writer

“For those curious about Detroit, this is one of the essential docs.”
- Inney Prakash, Maysles Documentary Center

“An incisive, intimate and enlightening cinematic gaze on Detroit, Street Fighting Men triumphs as an authentic story of resilience in a neighborhood that will never settle for defeat.”
- Les Roka, The Utah Review

"One of the biggest takeaways in this excellent documentary is how basic day-to-day survival, let alone revolution, is often a hard-fought victory in and of itself."
- Brian Costello, Common Sense Media

“Street Fighting Men is a film that forces you to look at the realities of our society.”
- Malika Harris, The Irish Film Critic

“A sobering picture of the effects of growing income inequality and lack of opportunities that have devastated the black middle class.”
- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice

"Street Fighting Men embraces some heavy subject matter but it shows the natural ebb and flow that exists in people’s lives. James’ camera captures some moments of natural levity, some deeply touching moments, and some moments of real horror and sadness. If Street Fighting Men comes to a theater near you it is worth your time to check out, especially if you liked Moonlight."
- Sarah Brinks, Battleship Pretension

"This is the sort of documentary that needs genuine trust between filmmaker and subject in order to get made. Each person is one man against a system much larger than him and mostly indifferent to his struggle."
- Jay Seaver, eFilmCritic

CONTEXT
It’s been widely reported that Detroit is making a comeback, but long-term residents of Detroit’s mostly black neighborhoods aren’t seeing much benefit. Crime, lack of opportunity and infrastructure problems still persist. In Street Fighting Men, three Detroit men have no choice but to fight for a better future. The stories of Jack Rabbit, Deris and Luke speak to deep, structural problems within the American system, but they also reflect profound spiritual truths about our shared human condition.

Street Fighting Men is supported by the Sundance Institute, San Francisco Film Society, Film Independent and IFP.

streetfightingmen.com