
Variety
Of all the documentaries you see this year, this one most potently embodies the ever-changing sense of the words "Made in America."
Full reviewThe Oscar-nominated documentarians of The Last Truck scored an Academy Award with this examination of a US factory opened by a Chinese billionaire that seemed like a blessing to unemployed workers, until culture clash turns into culture conflict.
"In 2014, a Chinese billionaire opened a Fuyao factory in a shuttered General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio. For thousands of locals, the arrival of this multinational car-glass manufacturer meant regaining their jobs—and dignity—after the recession left them high and dry. American Factory takes us inside the facility to observe what happens when workers from profoundly different cultures collide.
"At first, the culture clash is humorous. Transplanted Chinese workers attend trainings on dealing with their peculiarly casual and “chatty” American counterparts. But tensions mount. Slack safety standards and meager wages ignite serious doubts among the American rank and file. Low productivity and talk of unionization trigger a cascade of controls from Chinese management. Meanwhile, something ominous—the specter of job loss from automation—looms." (Sundance 2019)
LessOf all the documentaries you see this year, this one most potently embodies the ever-changing sense of the words "Made in America."
Full reviewThe real world is not a just or simple place, this thorough, compelling documentary points out, no matter how deeply we may wish it were.
Full reviewAmerican Factory may not have the character-driven allure or celebrity factor of most successful theatrical docs, but it should be widely embraced by film festivals and TV buyers around the world...
Full reviewThe film is too earnest and well-intentioned to fall prey to racism, but there's a vein of xenophobia baked into its premise that lingers and leaves more of a bad taste than it should.
Full reviewAmerican Factory is available to stream in Australia now on Netflix.
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