Netflix has nabbed the rights to American Factory, directed by Yellow Springs, Ohio residents Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert.
Fresh off a Sundance world premiere, the regional film — which is backed by Participant Media — hones in on the Chinese-run company Fuyao Glass America, who opened a factory inside what was once a General Motors plant; the latter was the focus of the filmmakers’ Oscar-nominated short The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant. When the GM plant shuttered in 2008, nearly 3,000 were left jobless. Fuyao came with a promise of new jobs — over 1,500, according to The New York Times.
But, as the doc’s logline reads, “early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.”
Those setbacks included multiple health and safety violations, complaints of being overworked and underpaid. But another narrative emerges in the documentary — hence the “culture clash.” Ultimately, the doc gleans perspective on how American and Chinese work ethic and viewpoints differ. The Ohio factory is just the backdrop in which those ideas play out.
Bognar and Reichert received Sundance’s directing award for U.S. documentary as the fest closed over the weekend.
Hollywood Reporter reports that the Netflix deal is worth just under $3 million. The streaming giant also made a deal with Participant Media when they nabbed the Oscar-nominated Roma. The deal will be the second documentary Netflix has scored at this year Sundance. It was earlier announced that the streaming company had acquired Knock Down the House, which follows now-senator Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and three other women from across the U.S. on the campaign trail as they vied for congressional seats.
Last week, reviews began to roll in for American Factory. Check out the highlights here.
This article appears in Jan 30 – Feb 6, 2019.
