Among the most skilled filmmakers working in nonfiction today, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp, 12th & Delaware) have never shied away from difficult subjects, nor allowed audiences to finish one of their films with their preconceived notions intact. Detropia takes us deep into the shell of the city that was once Detroit. Lonely, grainy nighttime shots punctuate stories of struggle told by the survivors that still call the Motor City their home. A blogger and urban explorer sneaks us into once-palatial homes; a nightclub owner shares the highs and lows; and an anonymous opera singer practices his craft in an abandoned theater. Avoiding easy moments of false hope, Ewing and Grady capture the pride that many still feel for Detroit. Even as it provides an elegy to a once-great city, Detropia won’t let you count Detroit out just yet. Plays with “Meaning of Robots” (dir. Matt Lenski, 4 min.) (DW)