American Factory

2019 110 min ★ 7.2 Documentary

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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Cast

Junming 'Jimmy' Wang

Self - Vice President, Fuyao

Sherrod Brown

Self - U.S. Senator, Ohio

Dave Burrows

Self - Vice President, Fuyao Glass America

John Gauthier

Self - President, Fuyao Glass America

Rob Haerr

Self - Furnace Supervisor

Cynthia Harper

Self - Lamination Specialist

Wong He

Self - Furance Engineer

Jill Lamantia

Self - Forklift Operator

Jeff Daochuan Liu

Self - President, Fuyao Glass America

Shawnea Rosser

Self - Glass Inspector

Details

Director

Steven Bognar

Tagline

"Cultures collide. Hope survives."

Status

Released

Original Language

EN

Production

Higher Ground, Participant, Field of Vision

Reviews

R

rsanek

September 19, 2020

★ 8/10

You always read about "cultural differences" as being something that must be overcome when dealing with international projects, but that language always felt so abstract to me; if anything, it seemed like more of an excuse as to why things might be delayed rather than a real problem. This doc did a great job of telling the story of what that concept really means in practice. _American Factory_ sho...

C

CinemaSerf

September 16, 2026

★ 6/10

When a Chinese glass company decides to invest in a former GM motor car factory in the USA, there is local excitement about the prospects of it employing a couple of thousand Ohians and helping to reinvigorate a state that has suffered years of steady industrial decline. Maybe unsurprisingly, though, it doesn't take long for some clashes of culture to take affect between the largely domestic workf...