American Factory

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.

With precision and astonishing access, directors Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar capture every key moment in this high-stakes intercultural chess game, revealing how American and Chinese workers view themselves within systems of authority. What results is an epic masterwork about the future of American labor and Chinese economic dominance, all within the confines of a factory in Ohio.

Status

In release

About the Filmmakers

Directors

Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert

Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert are Academy Award–nominated documentary filmmakers whose work has screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and SXSW Film Festival; has screened on Independent Lens; and has won a Primetime Emmy. Their film The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant was nominated for an Academy Award. Reichert's first film, Growing Up Female, was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Reichert is the recipient of the 2018 IDA Career Achievement Award. Bognar's films Personal Belongings, Picture Day, and Gravel all premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Premieres & Awards

World Premiere

Sundance Film Festival 2019

Directing Award: U.S. Documentary

Sundance Film Festival 2019

Nominee, U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary

Sundance Film Festival 2019

Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking

Cinema Eye Honors Awards 2020

Outstanding Achievement in Direction

Cinema Eye Honors Awards 2020

Nominee, Outstanding Achievement in Editing

Cinema Eye Honors Awards 2020

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Score, Nominee

Cinema Eye Honors Awards 2020

Nominee, Audience Choice Prize

Cinema Eye Honors Awards 2020

Best Director

International Documentary Association 2019

Nominee, Best Editing

International Documentary Association 2019

Nominee, Best Feature

International Documentary Association 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary

BAFTA Awards 2020

Nominee, F:ACT Award

CPH:DOX 2019

Best Documentary

Gotham Awards 2019

Nominee, Audience Award

Gotham Awards 2019

Best Political Documentary

Critics' Choice Documentary Awards 2019

Best Director

Critics' Choice Documentary Awards 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary

Critics' Choice Documentary Awards 2019

Nominee, Best Editing

Critics' Choice Documentary Awards 2019

Nominee, Best Edited Documentary - Feature

American Cinema Editors 2020

Nominee, Best Documentary

Film Independent Spirit Awards 2020

Les Blank Award: Best Documentary Feature

Ashland Independent Film Festival 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary

Central Ohio Film Critics Association 2020

Nominee, Best Documentary

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2019

Nominee, Local Heroes Competition

Cleveland International Film Festival 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary

Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary

Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2019

Nominee, Documentary of the Year

GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics 2020

Nominee, Best Documentary Film

Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA) 2020

Nominee, Best Documentary Film

Hollywood Critics Association 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary Feature

Houston Film Critics Society Awards 2020

Nominee, Best Documentary Feature

Latino Entertainment Journalists Association Awards 2020

Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards 2019

Nominee, Bruce Sinofsky Prize for Documentary Feature

Montclair Film Festival (MFF) 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary

Music City Film Critics' Association Awards 2020

Top Five Documentaries

National Board of Review, USA 2019

Nominee, Best Non-Fiction Film

National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA 2020

Nominee, Best Documentary Film

North Carolina Film Critics Association 2020

2nd Place, Best Documentary

North Texas Film Critics Association, US 2019

Best Documentary

Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary

Online Association of Female Film Critics 2019

Nominee, Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures

PGA Awards 2020

Nominee, Best Documentary Film

Phoenix Critics Circle 2019

Jury Prize, Best Documentary Feature

RiverRun International Film Festival 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary

San Francisco Film Critics Circle 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary Feature

San Francisco International Film Festival 2019

Jury Prize, Best Documentary Feature

Sarasota Film Festival 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary

Seattle Film Critics Awards 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary

Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards 2019

Allan King Documentary Award

Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2019

D.A. Pennebaker Award

Traverse City Film Festival 2019

Nominee, Best Documentary

Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards 2019