"American Factory," the story of what happened
when a Chinese company took over an abandoned General Motors
plant, is the first product of a multi-year collaboration
between Netflix <NFLX.O> and Higher Ground, the production
company formed last year by the former U.S. president and first
lady.
"A good story gives you the chance to better understand someone
else’s life. It can help you find common ground. And it’s why
Michelle and I were drawn to Higher Ground’s first film," Obama
said in a Twitter posting on Wednesday.
The documentary traces the lives of thousands of workers laid
off from their auto jobs in Moraine, Ohio, in the 2008
recession, some of whom were hired six years later by Chinese
company Fuyao Glass America to make automotive glass in the same
plant.
The Washington Post called "American Factory," which arrived on
Netflix on Wednesday, "a perfect vehicle for (Higher Ground's)
mission to lift up stories from underrepresented groups."
"We want people to be able to get outside of themselves and
experience and understand the lives of somebody else," Obama
told filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar in a
promotional video released by Netflix.
Michelle Obama told the filmmakers she was particularly struck
by the opening scenes of workers on the factory floor.
"That was my background, that was my father," she said.
"One of the many things I love about this film... is that you
let people tell their own story. "American Factory' doesn’t come
in with a perspective; it’s not an editorial."
The Los Angeles Times called the documentary "compelling," and
pop culture website Vox.com said it was "a fascinating peek into
the challenges of globalization." It received a 97% approval
rate on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Under the Netflix deal, Higher Ground will produce, curate and
acquire content for distribution on the streaming service. The
value of the deal is not known.
Upcoming programming will include an adaptation of Pulitzer
Prize-winning book "Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom" by
David W. Blight about the slavery abolitionist, a period drama
set in the fashion world and a series for pre-schoolers focusing
on healthy eating.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
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