A definite must-watch.
The premiere date for the Obamas’ first Netflix project has been officially confirmed.
The documentary, American Factory, will be released globally on August 21 after the streaming service acquired it from Participant Media earlier this year.
The Netflix Original Documentary, which is presented by Higher Ground Productions and Participant Media, won the the Directing Award: U.S. Documentary at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
It is the first title from the Higher Ground Productions’ slate to premiere on the streaming service.
President and Mrs. Obama formed Higher Ground to produce powerful stories to entertain, inform and inspire, and to lift up new, diverse voices in the entertainment industry.
The synopsis for American Factory reads:
“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.”
Director Julia Reichert and Director/Producer Steven Bognar said they were “thrilled” for the streaming service and Higher Ground to team up and bring American Factory to the world.
They continued:
“Their energy and enthusiasm is infectious. We’re excited about the national and global conversations we believe this film can spark.”
Higher Ground Productions’ Tonia Davis and Priya Swaminatha said:
“We are drawn to stories that celebrate the human spirit through struggles and triumphs. Julia and Steve have made a remarkable film honouring the importance of dignity and security on the job as the global economy shifts and workers increasingly are caught in the middle.”