Detroit Unleaded Has Theatrical Opening at Detroit Film Theatre

posted on: Nov 8, 2013

Detroit Unleaded will have its official theatrical release at the Detroit Film Theatre, November13th. – 19th. Director Rola Nashef’s charming romantic dramedy Detroit Unleaded opens theatrically in Detroit at the Detroit Film Theater on November 13th. Detroit Unleaded premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival where it won the Grolsch Film Works Discovery Award.

Expanding upon the award-winning 2007 short, Detroit Unleaded is a modern take on Romeo and Juliet that tells the story of Sami, a Lebanese-American who reluctantly takes over his father’s gas station after he is murdered in an armed robbery. It’s not a life that Sami ever wanted, nor did his late father who always encouraged his son to go to college. The gas station is more than just a pit stop for rolling papers and fake perfume, but a place where an infinite stream of spirited and often hilarious people flow through. When a gorgeous “up-do girl” named Najlah comes to deliver cheap long-distance phone cards, Sami quickly falls for her. Afraid her overprotective brother will disapprove, Najlah begins a romance with Sami under the promise of secrecy. As their love blossoms, Sami’s dream of a better life begins to swell.

Cast and made in Detroit or “imported from Detroit” as Chrysler would say, the film stars first-time feature actors EJ Assi and Nada Shouhayib, along with Actor/Comedian Mike Batayeh (Breaking Bad), Mary Assel, Steven Soro, and Lebanese film and television Star Akram El-Ahmar.

“Detroit Unleaded is both a borderline screwball comedy and a deeply felt evocation of the experience of second-generation Arab-Americans, as they struggle to balance familial obligations with aspirations for a better life. Exploring race relations, generational differences and economic strife with a sharp wit and a keen eye, Nashef’s debut feature is a rallying call for a new wave of Arab-American filmmaking.”

Jane Schoettle, Toronto International Film Festival

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Detroit Unleaded
Directed by Rola Nashef
Running time 92 minutes, in English and Arabic, Narrative, Unrated
Official film site and trailer: http://www.detroitunleaded.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/detroitunleadedthemovie