Northwest Film Forum

This is a tale of two cities: one in an apparently unstoppable state of growth, another in what seems to be a permanent state of decline.

Sabine Gruffat has made a documentary, filmed over four years, that examines the differences—and similarities—between Dubai, a sparkling city of soaring sci-fi towers and nearly explosive expansion, and Detroit, a city whose peak seems to be well behind it. Part travelogue and part investigative report, incorporating explorations of each city and interviews with academics and artists local to both, "I Have Always Been a Dreamer" looks beneath the obvious contrasts and discovers some intriguing parallels. A fascinating and enlightening piece of postmodern cultural criticism.