Congrats to local film makers Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar. Their latest film, The Last Truck, premiered at the Schuster Center to a full house. The film was bought and produced by HBO which will air it on Monday, September 7th.
Here's the beginning of the synopsis from the website:
On Dec. 23, 2008, two days before Christmas, the General Motors assembly plant in Moraine, Ohio shut its doors. As a result, 2,500 workers and 200 management staff were left without jobs, while the closing is also sure to trigger the loss of thousands of related jobs and businesses. But the GM workers lost much more than jobs, including the pride they share in their work and the camaraderie built through the years. To the natives of Moraine and the greater Dayton area, General Motors wasn't just a car company - it was the lifeblood of the community.
THE LAST TRUCK views the final months of the plant through the workers' eyes as they reflect on their work and consider their next steps. In revealing interviews with people who considered themselves more family than co-workers, the film reveals the emotional toll of losing not just a job, but a sense of self.
As the crowd grew, waiting for the doors to open, I was overwhelmed. Most attendees were former GM employees. The air was full of mixed emotions. Most were happy to reconnect with friends and co-workers while others (many) are still working through the pain and loss. I couldn't help but wonder how their lives have been impacted, and what they're doing now.
The film wasn't political. It wasn't about government or business. It was about lives -the lives of local auto workers who dedicated their lives to building quality products. In both the documentary and in the audience there was a tremendous sense of pride. These are people who cared about their jobs, cared about their products, and care about each other.
Interwoven with the footage and interviews were quotes and statistics about the auto industry, the local Moraine Assembly plant (larger than the Pentagon and with miles of conveyor belts), the impact on the local community and on auto suppliers.
I didn't think to take a camera but the last truck was actually on-site, just outside the Wintergarden at the Schuster Center. The evening also included a large group photo of all the former employees.
As the little girl sitting next to me said to her father, "This is like a reunion." For longtime friends who haven't seen each other in months, it was.
For the rest of us it was an opportunity to experience the GM closing directly through the eyes of those most affected. I couldn't help but look around and wonder how many were unemployed, how many might have foreclosed on their homes, how many utilize the foodbank, how many might have declared bankruptcy, how many might be in school learning a new trade (in the video one person admitted to not knowing anything about computers - and not even having one).
Separate from viewing the movie we heard how HBO made a contribution to the Foodbank. We heard how some suicides since the closing are attributed to the despair felt by former employees. And we heard how, on top of everything else they've been through, GM is now trying to take healthcare away from the former employees and retirees.
I have a new appreciation for lineworkers and anyone standing on their feet all day doing the same tasks over and over. Not everyone is cut out for that. I'm also lost for words to express that most of us had no idea what kind of impact GM's closing has had on employees or on the community at large. Consider for just a minute that 10,000 people's lives were probably directly impacted.
There was an untold story - until now.The story exists and needs to be shared. Make sure you check it out when you have a chance. HBO will probably run it more than just on September 7th. There will also be a DVD.
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