YJ02
Well Known GateFan
AMERICAN FACTORY is a 5 year follow along of out of work Ohio residents who once worked at a GM factory that closed.
The factory was bought buy a Chinese billionaire who already has a successful auto glass business- Fuyao glass
He started off with every intention of fitting into the 'american dream' as a provider of jobs for Americans
he tried an approach that matched Chinese workers with Americans, with the intent of handing over the management of the plant to Americans after 2 years
this movie is remarkable--as in, there are many things to make remarks on-
- it documents a clash between two different 'flavors' of socialism. or rather socialism as practiced by each side. Chinese who practice it for the benefit of the company and their nation and in turn, their benefit. Contrasted against American workers who were once unionized and who believe that the UAW's use of socialism means what that system can do for them.
- watching how American workers are very lax and complacent in their work ethic. Did their former union protection make them that way? And then watching how their chinese counterparts get the same job done without injury and with few complaints yet far faster and at a higher quality
the americans just cannot grasp how to do this despite the hands on training that their chinese mentors are giving to them
-the American way of how a people can be so desperate to work when out of work--"I'll do anything; I have XYZ experience; I will start at any wage, I just need a job,etc"
quickly changes into "this place sucks, its dangerous, the chinese want to take over, this is slave labor,etc"
all of this comes to a close with a kind of 'deus ex machina' (or is it 'apparatus occupate? (sp?) that solves the problem
it is a very good and well put together documentary. But then I am a sucker for a good 'people watching' doc any time
The factory was bought buy a Chinese billionaire who already has a successful auto glass business- Fuyao glass
He started off with every intention of fitting into the 'american dream' as a provider of jobs for Americans
he tried an approach that matched Chinese workers with Americans, with the intent of handing over the management of the plant to Americans after 2 years
this movie is remarkable--as in, there are many things to make remarks on-
- it documents a clash between two different 'flavors' of socialism. or rather socialism as practiced by each side. Chinese who practice it for the benefit of the company and their nation and in turn, their benefit. Contrasted against American workers who were once unionized and who believe that the UAW's use of socialism means what that system can do for them.
- watching how American workers are very lax and complacent in their work ethic. Did their former union protection make them that way? And then watching how their chinese counterparts get the same job done without injury and with few complaints yet far faster and at a higher quality
the americans just cannot grasp how to do this despite the hands on training that their chinese mentors are giving to them
-the American way of how a people can be so desperate to work when out of work--"I'll do anything; I have XYZ experience; I will start at any wage, I just need a job,etc"
quickly changes into "this place sucks, its dangerous, the chinese want to take over, this is slave labor,etc"
all of this comes to a close with a kind of 'deus ex machina' (or is it 'apparatus occupate? (sp?) that solves the problem
it is a very good and well put together documentary. But then I am a sucker for a good 'people watching' doc any time