Smelly Little Town

Smelly Little Town details one rust belt city’s indecision over whether to capitalize on the celebrity of its most famous native. Madonna was born in Bay City, Michigan on August 16, 1958, and her connection to the town has been a hot button issue there since her rise to stardom. The mayor used it as a wedge issue during his 1985 re-election campaign. Later, local media turned public opinion against Madonna after comments she made about Bay City on national TV. By 2008 though, attitudes had shifted as the town fell on hard times and there was renewed interest in using Madonna’s fame for municipal gain. But with a shrinking population and cash strapped government, is it too late to do anything about it?

Director, Producer, Editor: Zach Neumeyer Director of Photography: Matt Bockelman

In the Opening Night Shorts program.

In the Shorts! program.