American Factory (2019)

When I began watching American Factory I had no idea what I was going to be watching. This documentary, following the take over of a shuttered GM plant in Ohio which was taken over by a Chinese glass making corporation, felt at first like it was going to be about an inspiring American story of reinvention in the face of economic adversity. But as it played out the story ended up not being inspiring at all, instead it touched on something far more discouraging. As I watched it became clear it was a first hand account of worker exploitation at the hands of corporate interests.

We are introduced to a group of American workers returning to work in a factory which had provided jobs for their community but had through the rigors of capitalism closed down leaving the community suffering. There is a sense of returning optimism as the factory comes back to life run by a Chinese corporation making glass. There are awkward cultural encounters and I felt like we were being lead down a familiar cross-cultural story of coming together despite our differences. But as the film moved on it takes a different turn. We are shown how the corporate culture, from its union busting inclinations and expectations of worker sacrifice, is creating a new crisis for all those working there, the locals and the immigrants.

American Factory is a localized look at globalization and its effects on a very personal nature. By focusing on the individual stories of those working in this company the film is able to personalize the story. It's powerful seeing how lives are changed (not for the better) and affected by the effects of globalization.

American Factory
Directors: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, Yiqian Zhang, Mijie Li