The Dayton premiere for the Netflix Fuyao doc “American Factory” has been announced

Local viewers can see it first

Area residents will have a chance to see “American Factory” before Netflix subscribers.

The documentary about Moraine manufacturer Fuyao Glass America — created by Yellow Springs filmmakers Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert and their colleagues — will be shown at the Victoria Theatre Aug. 19 in a ticketed event, a Netflix spokeswoman said.

That will be two days before Netflix is set to stream the documentary.

RELATEDDate set for Netflix to release Fuyao documentary 'American Factory'

The event will be free, Netflix said.

Invitations to the local showcase will be sent soon, and a web site for obtaining tickets will be announced, the spokeswoman said. As of late Tuesday, Netflix could not say how many tickets will be set aside for the public or give an address for the web site. Fuyao employees and their families are expected to see a certain allotment of tickets.

“They’re very excited to bring the film home for a true Dayton premiere,” the Netflix spokeswoman said of Bognar and Reichert. “We’re really excited to be a part of that.”

The film offers a glimpse into the the creation of the Chinese-owned automotive glass-factory that was built in the same factory that once housed a General Motors assembly operation off West Stroop Road.

MOREWell-known Dayton company to close Ohio site, lay off 63 workers. 

“American Factory” has seen wide acclaim at film festivals nationally, well before Higher Ground Productions — President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company in partnership with Netflix — acquired the film in April. Higher Ground has said the documentary will be included in the company’s inaugural slate of film projects.

The film won the Sundance Film Festival’s “Directing Award: U.S. Documentary” last year.

“With precision and astonishing access, directors Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar capture every key moment in this high-stakes intercultural chess game, revealing how American and Chinese workers view themselves within systems of authority,” Sundance said in a citation. “What results is an epic masterwork about the future of American labor and Chinese economic dominance, all within the confines of a factory in Ohio.”

“Of all the documentaries you see this year, this one most potently embodies the ever-changing sense of the words ‘Made in America,’” Variety magazine said.

About the Author