IN CINEMA
Friday, August 29, 2025 at 8PM
MADE YOU LOOK: H2O (Hip Hop Odyssey)
GOD SAID GIVE 'EM DRUM MACHINES
Directed by Kristian Hill, 2022, 92 min.
Presented with Hip-Hop Education Center
Starring Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Blake Baxter, Eddie Fowlkes, Santonio Echols, and Mike Huckaby
Detroit is a city of struggle.
Historically, economically, and artistically, Detroit has had to fight for survival. And it’s had to fight even harder for recognition. The spirit of that fight is epitomized by GOD SAID GIVE ‘EM DRUM MACHINES, a documentary which traces the birth of techno music to its unlikely origins in the D.
Detroit’s African-American cultural roots cultivated musical movements like jazz, Motown, and disco. By the late ‘70s, DJs like Ken Collier were infusing underground clubs and public airwaves with radically danceable sounds, and in the early ‘80s groundbreaking technology like the infamous Roland TR-808 was falling into the hands of a new generation. The merging of these artistic and technological forces would bring about one of the most significant musical breakthroughs of the modern era.
GOD SAID GIVE ‘EM DRUM MACHINES tells the tale of the young visionaries who made that breakthrough happen. Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Blake Baxter, Eddie Fowlkes, and Santonio Echols were the vanguard of a new musical style they dubbed “techno,” which would soon become the most celebrated and profitable genre in the world. And yet their names are largely unknown to most fans of that very genre.
Despite the best efforts of musical historians and journalists, the story of how a handful of black kids from Detroit invented techno has never fully been told. It’s a story of damaged friendships, mismanaged success, and broken dreams. But it’s also a story of inspiration. While the originators of techno may not enjoy the fame and fortune of those who cruised to success in their wake, they have seen their music touch lives around the globe. And they find comfort in knowing their creation will live on for generations to come.
Like Detroit itself, the artists who created techno struggle for survival and recognition. GOD SAID GIVE ‘EM DRUM MACHINES documents their fight, and hopes to help them achieve both.
Documentary Filmmaker Kristian R. Hill has over 25 years experience in film, television, and entertainment media. Kristian was born in Detroit, MI, a city whose prideful history would come to define much of his work. With encouragement from his parents, he got involved in the computer arts at an early age. His attraction to video editing gave him an entryway into the world of television, leading to early credits like Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense and other projects with the NFL Network, HBO and Apple. Driven by a thirst to tell authentic stories, Kristian eventually began focusing on producing and directing as much as editing.
In 2014, Kristian garnered an NAACP Image Award Nomination for Best Children's Television Program for “Postcards: Mandela.” Later that year, his short film, "Electric Roots: The Detroit Sound Project," was selected to screen at the Court Mértage - Cannes Short Film Corner. Both projects, he directed, shot and edited. In 2019, he began to roll out his own artistic breakthrough, the feature-length documentary ‘GOD SAID GIVE 'EM DRUM MACHINES - the Story of Detroit Techno,’ his feature film directing debut. Hill has earned speaking engagements at the School of Cinematic Arts – DePaul University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Documentary Lab, British Film Institute – London Film Festival, and the Hirshhorn/Smithsonian Museum to name a few.
Currently, Kristian is living and working in Los Angeles where he is an in-demand editor; in addition to his growing reputation as a director and executive producer.
Born and raised in Detroit, filmmaker, and author Jennifer Washington is inspired by the rich musical culture of her city. Since co-founding Washington Hill Pictures, Jennifer has produced several audio-visual works and events that amplify Black voices and uplift her hometown. By illuminating the city's musical legacy, her work champions the campaign for Detroit to be recognized as an official music capital of the world. In 2023, Ms. Washington was awarded the title of Cultural Titan at the 5th annual Detroit Diaspora Day.
Her latest endeavor God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines: The Book is available now, which chronicles her 13-year filmmaking journey of producing her first feature film GOD SAID GIVE ‘EM DRUM MACHINES. Her newest documentary “The Untitled Y.A.L.A. Project” about the Young Ambassadors Leadership Academy in Los Angeles is currently in production, and coming soon!
$15 General Admission / $7 Reduced Price
