Video: “Packard — The Last Shift” featuring Philip Levine

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The Packard Motor Car Company and its 5-million square foot plant became a symbol of the American Dream in the heart of the Motor City. Packard left town in 1954, but its plant still stands as a symbol of bankrupt Detroit. The half-mile stretch of rubble and ruin tells a story of failed politics and criminal activity, of scrappers and arsonists, and of the perseverance of one business to stick it out. The lawless plant has become a haven for street artists and curiosity seekers from around the world.

Directed by Brian Kaufman, Packard: The Last Shift, which is split between a poem by Pulitzer Prize-winner Philip Levine and interviews with residents of the city, is excerpted from an eponymous 2014 feature-length documentary on the plant.

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