Five Towns

American Factory

August 2019 •English

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.

The Golden Years

January 1960 •English

Innovations in the bowling world are featured in this 1960 promotional film produced by American bowling equipment manufacturer Brunswick.

Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory

March 1895 •French

Working men and women leave through the main gate of the Lumière factory in Lyon, France. Filmed on 22 March 1895, it is often referred to as the first real motion picture ever made, although Louis Le Prince's 1888 Roundhay Garden Scene pre-dated it by seven years. Three separate versions of this film exist, which differ from one another in numerous ways. The first version features a carriage drawn by one horse, while in the second version the carriage is drawn by two horses, and there is no carriage at all in the third version. The clothing style is also different between the three versions, demonstrating the different seasons in which each was filmed. This film was made in the 35 mm format with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and at a speed of 16 frames per second. At that rate, the 17 meters of film length provided a duration of 46 seconds, holding a total of 800 frames.

Mind of Clay

March 1985 •Hindi

In a poetic hour and a half, director Mani Kaul looks at the ancient art of making pottery from a wide variety of perspectives.

From 3 to 22

November 1966 •

A movie follows a regular working day of a woman who works in a factory. She wakes up at 3am and goes to sleep at 10pm.

After Breaking the Silence

May 2016 •Korean

4, April, 2014. Worker's who worked in "SaengTak" are get to the struggle to require adjust of working environment for safely food, and guarantied a Three Right of labors. Then. Worker's tried to record there's own struggle and launch forth to street, However, Law, Capital, unconcern of crowd and avoid of famille are swallow up them.

Blow It to Bits

October 2019 •French

A mix of Rock and Roll and Blues are the secret for successful rebellion. When I took my camera to the middle of France where the GM&S factory was threatened by a permanent shut down, I felt like something extraordinary was about to take place. And it did. The lyrics were written by workers who have had enough! The tune was composed by people not afraid to go against even the rules of revolt! The volume was loud enough to attract the media. Their working-class concert spread across France like wild fire. I sat out of sight, camera in hand, filming like catching fish in a barrel.

The Blacklisted

May 2019 •Serbian

Dejan is an ordinary guy living in post-communist country. But each time a Chinese delegation visit his country, he’s treated as public enemy: state security taps his phones and tails both him and his family. The reason is he’s practising Falun Gong. But what is Falun Gong? Why is it banned and persecuted in China and what is the connection with Serbia? By following the events on the margins of Chinese Summit held in Belgrade in 2014, when police unlawfully detained 11 Falun Gong activists, we discover a story. The activists were held to avoid spreading the truth about Falun Gong in China. Through their testimony in this film, as well as Dejan’s exclusive video materials, the truth is finally brought to the light of the day. It's the bitter truth about China and the whole world we live in.

Giap's Last Day At The Ironing Board Factory

March 2015 •English

In 1975, a seven-months pregnant Vietnamese refugee, Giap, escapes Saigon in a boat and, within weeks, finds herself working on an assembly line in Seymour, Indiana. 35 years later, her aspiring filmmaker son, Tony, decides to document her final day of work at the last ironing board factory in America.

The Empire of Shame

March 2014 •Korean

A documentary about the continuing case of Samsung semiconductor plant. The film is a story about nameless people wearing white coat, hat and mask worked in a clean room exposing eyes only.

At Your Fingertips: Cylinders

January 1970 •English

Instructive short on using cylinders to construct all manner of fun objects.

Dream Factory

September 2011 •Korean

It's been more than 1,000 days since the workers of Cort/Cortek Guitar begun a struggle after the company abruptly closed down. Meanwhile, musicians performed for the workers so many people are aware of the company's injustice, but the company has yet to respond. The workers visit international instrument expositions all around the world, meet other guitar companies such as Fender and Ibanez who subcontract with Cort, and share the struggle with them. The workers also align with musicians in Japan and the USA. They achieve international solidarity through music.

A Time for Making

October 2018 •English

Nine artisans on secluded Gabriola Island reveal the differences between mass manufactured and authentic locally handmade through intimate portraits of their work and lifestyle.

Aan ons den arbeid

November 2007 •English

Documentary that shows the changing attitude towards immigrant labor in The Netherlands. The documentary follows three immigrants that arrived in Holland 30 years ago to work in a bakery.

The Island of Shadows

August 2016 •Korean

The workers talk about the pleasure of starting work in a shipyard, the pride of making the vessel, and the recognition of workers and the high spirit of their novel struggle. There was solidarity everywhere, even in each other's mind. But there is no more energy in Hanjin Shipyard. The workers have been laid-off and the strike shows no sign of stopping. A 34 year-old worker committed suicide as well. It's the fourth who has become a martyr for the cause. Why have the laborers who worked at Hanjin shipyard separated like this? They are starting to ask themselves why they decided to hate each other.

In Syrien auf Montage

October 1971 •German

The film is a reportage showing the help of workers from the GDR in the industrial reconstruction of Syria. We witness the friendly relationship between workers from both countries, who are jointly involved in the construction of the cotton spinning mill in Homs. In impressive pictures the exoticism of the environment and the mentality of the Syrian hosts is shown. At the same time it becomes clear that the workers from the GDR become 'ambassadors of the GDR' through their collegial behaviour and good work.

Artistas e Artesãos

January 1964 •Portuguese

Documentary about pottery from Barcelos.

Ascension

October 2021 •English

The absorbingly cinematic Ascension explores the pursuit of the “Chinese Dream.” Driven by mesmerizing—and sometimes humorous—imagery, this observational documentary presents a contemporary vision of China that prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.

Living Art

May 2024 •Bengali

The thousand-year-old tradition of pottery in the Indian subcontinent is now under threat. With the market being flooded with plastic in the evolution of civilization, today this Pal community is becoming displaced.

La bataille de Florange

October 2016 •French