Detroit Corner Gets Brooklyn Makeover For 'The Citizen'

DETROIT (WWJ) - A Brooklyn street corner was recreated at Second and Canfield in Midtown Detroit on Wednesday for a new movie called The Citizen.

The Citizen is about a Lebanese immigrant becoming an American citizen, inspired by true events.  It is the first time directing a major movie for Sam Kadi of Walled Lake.

"It's an immigrant journey to reach the American Dream," said Kadi.  "Basically, it's a journey of struggles, hope and success.  It's a very patriotic story."

WWJ's Marie Osborne was on the set Wednesday morning.  She reported the corner is masquerading Brooklyn completely with a New York City cab parked in front of an apartment building renamed "The Brooklyn Express."

Kadi says he is thrilled to be using Detroit as the backdrop.

"I think Detroit is a great, rich city that we're trying really to show people that we can do anything in Detroit," said Kadi.  "We can create Brooklyn.  We can create Manhattan. We can create anything we want."

Kadi is backed by private investors and was one of the few who recently was approved for the Michigan film tax incentives under new guidelines.

"I'm grateful," said Kadi.  "So far, there are only five projects that, you know, that made it.  It's a huge race, it sounds like.  It's very stressful as well.  As I said, I'm grateful, because it's a home-grown project."

Kadi, who received $561,000 in credits, on $1.3 million of projected spending, says 95 percent of his cast and crew will come from Michigan.  Nearly sixty people were working on the set, all of them local.

Kadi said The Citizen's debut will be "early next year."  "We're hoping like Winter of next year, I think, it will be out."

By the end of summer, Kadi said he hopes to release a teaser or trailer of the film.