There are not many characters as fascinating as the city of Detroit. Once heralded as the birthplace of the middle class, Detroit is now populated by the remnants of a better time. “Scrappers” make a living by illegally casing old buildings for valuable metals. The young men in this scene not only recognize their role as the “clean up crew,” but also their place in an unforgiving food chain. Dismantling Detroit is a part of The New York Times’ OP-DOCS series, a forum for short, opinionated documentaries, produced with creative latitude by independent filmmakers and artists.
