American Factory (2019)

In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a factory in an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.

Directors:

Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert

Stars:

Junming 'Jimmy' Wang, Robert Allen, Sherrod Brown

Won 1 Oscar. Another 18 wins & 48 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Junming 'Jimmy' Wang	...	Self - Vice President, Fuyao
Robert Allen	...	Self - Furnace Off-Loader (as Bobby)
Sherrod Brown	...	Self - U.S. Senator, Ohio
Dave Burrows	...	Self - Vice President, Fuyao Glass America
Dawnetta Cantrell	...	Self
Lori Cochran	...	Self
Austin Cole	...	Self - Tempering Backlight Production Supervisor
John Crane	...	Self - Fuyao Safety Director
John Gauthier	...	Self - President, Fuyao Glass America
Rob Haerr	...	Self - Furnace Supervisor
Cynthia Harper	...	Self - Lamination Specialist
Wong He	...	Self - Furance Engineer
Timi Jernigan	...	Self - Furnance Technician
Jill Lamantia	...	Self - Forklift Operator
Jeff Daochuan Liu	...	Self - President, Fuyao Glass America

Storyline

In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand blue-collar Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.

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Plot Keywords:

working class | blue collar | factory worker | culture clash | 

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Taglines:

Cultures collide. Hope survives.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program.

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Quotes

Himself - Fuyao Safety Director: Everybody at every level will say that we really, really want to be safe. But safety doesn't pay the bills.

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Connections

Featured in The Oscars (2020)

User Reviews

Surprisingly even-handed examination at factory work in America, and China

Don't let the trolls fool you...this is NOT a Roger & Me-style documentary hit piece, its a surprisingly fair look at the complex nature of how the manufacturing industry works in the 21st Century, here in America and in China, and how both cultures are experiencing upheaval in the interest of progress.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Mandarin

Release Date:

21 August 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

American Factory

Filming Locations:

Moraine, Ohio, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Higher Ground Productions, Participant

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1