‘American Factory’ stirs mixed feelings in China over working conditions and culture
- Documentary revealing the life of US workers at Fuyao’s auto-glass plant in Ohio generates strong interest on social media
- Some say it is especially interesting to watch against backdrop of trade war
For American viewers, the Netflix documentary American Factory reveals the life of US workers on Chinese-owned production lines.
The film, backed by Barack and Michelle Obama’s new production company, documents how Chinese auto-glass company Fuyao built a factory near Dayton, Ohio, where thousands of workers were laid off when General Motors closed its plant in the rust belt a decade ago.
Fuyao brought not only new jobs to Ohio, but also the high expectations and harsh management style that are customary in factories across China. It most notably spent more than US$1 million to put down a unionising campaign.
Although Netflix is not available in mainland China, pirated and Chinese-subtitled copies of the film have been circulated online, and it has been widely discussed on social media.
