American Factory - A compelling movie about a Chinese-managed factory in the US

The tiger that is Chinese manufacturing and technological advancement seems to be stretching across the world, on all continents. Where once the United States was the world's manufacturing powerhouse, there are few manufacturing jobs left in the US, and China seems to have ascended to that spot as the undisputed leader in the world.

And yet, enticed by massive financial incentives, Chinese manufacturers have begun to explore running their businesses in America. Usually, they are given breaks on taxes and given cash in hand to open a factory and hire local workers who lost their jobs when the previous factories shuttered. They are supposed to hire X number of people, and so on. But is it possible that the advantages of labor these companies enjoy in China can be repeated in the US?

The opening of this automotive glass factory and the conflicts between Chinese styles of management and American worker culture are really at the heart of this movie. The documentary film makers are given incredible access to people throughout the Fuyao Glass company, and we can listen in as people at all levels of the business share their thoughts on making the plant a success, whether it is an American manager cursing like crazy about the idea of a labor union or a Chinese manager detailing how we will target and fire labor union sympathizers even if it looks like they are friends. You almost can not believe they agreed to say these things in a movie!

The Chairman of this massive manufacturing company, Cao Dewang, is a fascinating character himself, and we see him bump into labor laws, health and safety regulations, and financial pressures while still maintaining a steadfast insistence that his investment will succeed. As one example, he does not like where the fire alarm was located in one of the rooms of the plant and initially wants to put it down near the ground. This would not be legal in the US, but he makes it known that even within the rules, the lack of aesthetic consideration for the location of the alarm was a mistake. Then he's off to the next item of business!

We hear about the struggles of US workers who are relieved to find work at the factory, but who are working for 1/3 of what they earned in the same building. It is hard to over-emphasize how expensive it can be to live in the US, and the wages the workers earn at this factory are relatively low. The Chinese management believes they are paying quite a lot of money, however, and are alarmed and frustrated by how slow the workers are, and how their "fat fingers" get in the way.

How this Chinese company and its management talks about Americans and America is one of the most eye-opening parts of this film. I think it is possible to see both sides - the Chinese frustration with how slow the pace of work is, and how difficult it seems to them to follow safety regulations - the American frustration with management and worker safety practices that are simply insulting in our culture. Both sides think they are right! But that is the fascinating part about culture...of course, every culture is right in its own context, it is when we move from one context to the next that we learn so much!

This is well illustrated by a friendship between an older American worker (complete with guns and horses) and a younger Chinese worker (who is separate by work from his wife and children). They feel like family...until the point where it is revealed that the American worker is fired.

This, in the end, seems to be the biggest impact of the movie - whatever the human connection, the insatiable hunger for profit will take priority. Seeing all of the details of the journey from hope to disappointment to resolution is very interesting, and very worth a watch!

American Factory is available on Netflix. I rate it an 8/10 - A Good Watch!!