American Factory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids American Factory |
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| Directed by |
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| Music by | Chad Cannon |
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| Editing by | Lindsay Utz |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
| Release date(s) | January 25, 2019 (Sundance) August 21, 2019 (United States) |
| Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | United States |
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American Factory (Chinese: 美国工厂) is a 2019 American documentary film. A documentary film tells a true story using real footage. This movie was directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert.
The film is about a Chinese company called Fuyao. Fuyao opened a factory in Moraine, Ohio. This city is near Dayton. The factory took over a closed General Motors plant.
American Factory first showed at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Netflix distributes the film. It was the first movie bought by Barack and Michelle Obama's company, Higher Ground Productions. The film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. This is a very important award for documentaries.
What is American Factory About?
The story takes place in Ohio. Many factories there had closed down. A rich Chinese businessman decided to open a new factory. He hired about 2,000 American workers.
At first, everyone was hopeful. But soon, problems started to appear. The way things were done in China was very different from how things worked in America. This led to some challenges for both the Chinese owners and the American workers.
How the Film Was Made
The filmmakers, Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, shot the movie from 2015 to 2017. The Fuyao company allowed them to film inside their factories. They filmed in both Ohio and China.
The directors wanted to make this film because of the factory's history. It was the same building where a General Motors plant used to be. That old plant was the topic of their earlier short film, The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant.
Two Chinese filmmakers, Yiqian Zhang and Mijie Li, helped with the movie. They traveled to Ohio every month. They were very important for connecting with the Chinese people in the film. They helped the directors understand the Chinese culture and language.
Filming Style
The filmmakers used a "fly-on-the-wall" style. This means they tried to film without being noticed. They wanted to show what was happening naturally. The film only uses sounds from the factory and what the workers say.
They used small microphones called lavalier microphones. These helped them hear the workers' voices clearly. This was important because factories can be very noisy. Sometimes, workers recorded their thoughts at home. This made it feel like you were hearing their inner thoughts.
See Also
- Detropia - 2012 documentary focused on the decline of the economy of Detroit due to long-term changes in the automobile industry
- Roger & Me - 1989 Michael Moore documentary about General Motors closing its factory in Flint, Michigan, eliminating 35,000 jobs
- Working-class culture
