 The film's name came from a portmanteau of the words "Detroit" and "Utopia", and was inspired by an abandoned auto parts store, where the letter "A" in "AUTO" and the letters "R", "T", and "S" in "PARTS" were missing from the store's sign.The letter "I" had been painted into the appropriate part of the store front to make the sign read "UTO PIA".The film does not feature any narration or spoken comments from the filmmakers.