My Summer Lair Chapter #283: When Was The Last Time You Hustled As Hard As Detroit Hustles?
There’s an impressive title card in this Hot Docs documentary Rouge directed by Hamoody Jaafar.
“From 1954-1972, the River Rouge Panthers appeared in 14 out of 18 state championship games. Winning 12.
It is known by many as the winningest period in high school basketball history.”
As a documentary Rogue covers the 2019-2020 high school baseball season. All while jumping from the present to explore the dynamic past and how the past continues to sculpt the present.
Broadly, here’s the official synopsis of Rouge:
“In the 1950s, legendary high school basketball coach Lofton Greene led the racially integrated River Rouge High School Panthers to a record number of state championships in a league of otherwise segregated schools. Now, almost 70 years later, LaMonta Stone, a former Panther himself, has returned to the struggling industrial town of River Rouge, Michigan, to coach the Panthers as they chase the school’s 15th State Championship. Stone and three of his star student-athletes, including seniors Brent Darby Jr. and Ahmoni Weston, and junior Legend Geeter, strive to fulfill generations worth of work on and off the court by preparing for their next chapter of life.”
After watching the documentary, I asked Director Hamoody Jaafar an obvious question: “A lot of people in Toronto may not be familiar with like a “Detroit” high school basketball team. But you feel this story can transcend and connect with people outside of Michigan?”
I adore his answer which starts with: “Yeah, no doubt about it.”
Detroit hustles, hard indeed.
Behold…the Rouge trailer:
Yes I’m a basketball guy, but this is more than just a basketball documentary. This is about resilience and how Detroit hustles. This is about community and connection. It’s about faith and it’s about hope.
All of these themes naturally flow in my attached conversation with Director Hamoody Jaafar and Panthers player Legend Geeter.
Rouge is playing at Hot Docs: if you have never heard of River Rouge, Michigan that’s exactly why you should go.
Through this documentary you get a window into this neighborhood which it turns out isn’t all that different from yours.
Rouge @ W • T • F
Host Sammy Younan
Recorded: Friday April 19, 2024 at 1:30 pm (EST)
Stress free pop culture tastefully harvested for your divine delight. Once a week a carefully curated edition of My Pal Sammy goes directly to your inbox. Sign up for my newsletter so we can have some fun…hustling as hard as Detroit!
