The Story Behind The Man Who Is Telling Detroit's Story

BELLE ISLE (WXYZ) - It’s a frigid snowy morning on Belle Isle and Erik Proulx is rolling on the first frames of a documentary on Detroit he calls “Lemonade Detroit” .

“Lemonade Detroit is about the reinvention and the resurgence of the city of Detroit.” Proulx tells us as his crew sets for a new shot.

What might surprise you; Erik, the guy who is going to document Detroit’s reinvention isn’t from Detroit. In fact he hasn’t even spent that much time here.

“I’m a Boston based filmmaker and I'm just inspired by what I see here.” He says.

While it is true Erik may not know a lot about Detroit he does know a thing or two about reinvention. In 2008 he was fired from his job at an advertising firm. It was his third pink slip and he decided he was sick and tired of the cycle.

Erik decided to make a documentary about himself and others in his position. People forced by circumstance to reinvent themselves.

He called it “ Lemonade ” as in “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

He’s now turned his cameras on Detroit and another story about reinvention.

“One word I hear over and over about Detroit is its grit.” Erik says. “That’s the perfect scenario to make something great. Actually use that energy. Rise above that and do something amazing.”

Erik is funding his film through an innovative on-line concept called “micro funding” where individuals can buy a single frame for a dollar. He’s raised enough to shoot a short film, which he hopes to parlay into enough funding to pay for the entire 90-minute film.

By next summer he hopes to premier a film that capture’s the world’s attention like that now-famous Chrysler/Eminem spot , which he calls his “manifesto” for Lemonade Detroit.

“How that ad accurately portrayed the guts and energy of the city.” Erik promises, “This is going to be a 90-minute version of that.”