Work in Progress Screening
Jeremy Xido is a world-traveled artist who finds he is missing something. When he realizes he’s yearning for his chosen family from his childhood in Detroit, he returns after years of silence. As the only white kid in his old neighborhood, Xido must confront what his absence meant for those who stayed. He delves into his own family’s history: his Marxist parents, their Presbyterian and Jewish roots, and what led them to settle in Detroit. He reconnects with his “cousin” and best friend, Boo, and the two reflect on their bond and explore the broader forces shaping Detroit’s past and present. In Sons of Detroit, genres blur as Xido weaves together documentary, performance art, and storytelling. The film raises important questions: What does home mean? What does it mean to return after walking away? And how are our personal identities shaped by collective history? This Work in Progress screening provides a deeply beautiful exploration of American belonging. Through intimate moments and hard truths, Sons of Detroit invites us to both remember and reckon with the past. —Karina Curry
2021 JFI Completion Grant