ABOUT THE FILM
Through intimate cinema vérité, UNION chronicles the extraordinary efforts of an unlikely group of warehouse workers as they launch a grassroots union campaign at an Amazon fulfillment center in Staten Island, New York. Led by the charismatic but underestimated Chris Smalls, the diverse band of workers start the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) and embark on a journey against one of the largest and most powerful companies in the world. The odds are stacked against them, as the group finds itself up against a tech industry giant with unlimited resources, without major support from national unions or politicians, and while navigating internal divisions within their own ranks. Filmmakers Brett Story and Stephen Maing document the struggle from day one, offering a gripping human drama about the fight for power and dignity in today's globalized economic landscape.
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DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY
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EDITED BY
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY
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AWARDS
Sundance Film Festival, U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for the Art of Change
Academy Award Shortlist, Best Documentary Feature
Cinema Eye Honors, Production
Maysles Documentary Center, Albie Award
Adelaide Film Festival, Change Award
Anthem Gold Award, Film & Television
Hot Docs Pitch Forum, Best Canadian Pitch Prize
Indie Memphis Film Festival, Best Documentary Feature - Audience Award
Nominee: Cinema Eye Honors, Direction
Nominee: Gotham Awards, Best Documentary Feature
Finalist: SIMA (Social Impact Media Awards), Feature Documentary
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DISTRIBUTION
PRESS
“The never-ending growth of Amazon’s empire has led to expansion beyond comprehension and predictably problems beyond control as workers have started to push back against a litany of unfair practices.”
“A key addition to the canon of workers’ cinema.”
“Using unobtrusive direct cinema techniques, the documentary takes us inside the fledgling union, capturing the frustration and elation of trying to do the right thing in an impossible historical moment.”
“A raw examination of labor organization at its most powerful, pure, and fragile.”
“Brett Story and Stephen Maing's richly observed film follows weary workers at a Staten Island Amazon warehouse as they fight to unionize, encountering opposition from their peers as well as their overlords”
“Tough and gripping”