50 Years of Labor Documentaries Examined on May Day Weekend

A Guardian article surveys five decades of labor union documentaries, focusing on Barbara Kopple's 'American Dream' (1990) and 'Harlan County, USA' (1976). 'American Dream' documents the 1985-86 Hormel strike in Austin, Minnesota, during the Reagan era when unions lost 2.7 million members. The film is re-released this week by Janus Films. 'Harlan County, USA' covers the 1973 Brookside strike in Kentucky and celebrates its 50th anniversary. The article traces the subgenre through films like 'Final Offer', 'American Standoff', 'Union' (about Amazon Labor Union on Staten Island), and the upcoming 'Who Moves America' (about UPS drivers). It notes recurring scenes—organizing meetings, picket lines, corporate spokespeople—and contrasts the armed violence of 'Harlan County' with modern union-busting tactics like PowerPoint consultants. The piece highlights the inclusion of immigrant and undocumented workers in recent films, and notes that 'Union' self-distributed after buyers avoided conflict with Amazon MGM Studios.