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A new documentary goes inside the dramatic origins of the Amazon Labor Union — just in time for holiday shopping decisions.
"Despite being its own, self-contained work, it feels part of something greater."
Which Side Are You On? Oscar Contender ‘Union’ Chronicles A Yearlong Struggle At Amazon Warehouse
Despite racking up awards and making the Oscars shortlist, Union and No Other Land have no U.S. distribution.
‘Symbolic and Contagious’: Union Documentary Captures Amazon Labor Breakthrough
"UNION — the new documentary [Brett Story] co-directed with Stephen Maing about the Amazon Labor Union — received the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival."
"After garnering an award at the Sundance Film Festival and glowing reviews, UNION still didn’t have any major distribution deals on the table — so the filmmakers began planning an unabashedly pro-organized labor theatrical strategy."
"The film, which follows a successful grassroots effort by Amazon workers in Staten Island to form the first US Amazon union, debuted amid the highest levels of union approval since the 1960s."
"UNION documents the story of a group of employees who try to form a union a a Staten Island Amazon Fulfillment Center, JFK8 on Staten Island, New York."
"Filmmakers Brett Story (The Hottest August, 2019) and Stephen Maing (Crime + Punishment, 2018) were there from the struggle’s early moments, filming as organizers (including Chris Smalls, whose wrongful termination lit the match of the unionization effort) built power, disagreed over tactics, and continuously committed to the tireless day-to-day work that made their David versus Goliath achievement possible."
"There haven’t been a lot of documentaries this year that carry on the tradition of Robert Drew and the rest of the filmmakers involved in the observational Direct Cinema style, but Stephen Maing and Brett Story keep it going with UNION."
"One of the best American films about the labor movement since 1940’s The Grapes of Wrath."
"A gritty David and Goliath story set in a blue collar world against a corporate America backdrop."
"Other political films that have had to turn to self-distribution despite earning strong reviews are Sundance opener about organizing an Amazon warehouse."
"Celebrates a glimmer of hope in an era of all-encompassing darkness."
"An indelible portrait of the modern American labor struggle."
"Films about Israel and a union drive at Amazon are acclaimed Oscar hopefuls. But they are largely unavailable to American audiences."
"An unflinching, unvarnished record of the slow, methodical road necessary for organizing."
"The best documentaries are the ones that question and challenge power, and UNION punches up in sync with its subjects."
"Follows Amazon warehouse organizers through an uphill battle, a stunning victory, and an uncertain future."
"A true David-and-Goliath story about the so-called 'little guy,' in this case the workers, prevailing over the monster tech company with a historic win in founding the first Amazon union."
"In the time of war, genocides, and imperialism, Stephen Maing & Brett Story’s “Union” sets an example of resistance."
"Without being a hagiography of Chris Smalls and his acolytes, UNION restores all the sacrifice that such a commitment demands from activists."
"Stylistically haunting, politically urgent, and guided by its subjects’ journeys rather than a predetermined structure."
"A sorely needed representation of the relevance and potential power of unions in the modern world."
"There is a clear honesty in the approach here since, although the events depicted would lead to the successful outcome in the spring of 2022, the film also shows the tensions and disputes that arise among those wanting action be taken."
"As much a battle cry for that fight as it is a quiet tale about a brave man and a ragtag band of employees who said in one voice see us and hear us."
"A a movie that understands — with a mix of frustration and resolve — that even memorable victories like the one won by the ALU are ultimately provisional."
"Stephen Maing and Brett Story’s unsurprisingly riveting Union is the one Sundance selection most assuredly not coming to Prime Video anytime soon — or ever."
"As we are facing a grim future for the next four years, Brett Story and Stephen Maing's new documentary, UNION, should resonate more than ever."
"From the rousing leader dismissed for leading a walkout to the activists handing out free burgers, pizza and weed, an inspiring new documentary charts the long, hard fight to create the delivery giant’s first union."
"As this documentary by Brett Story and Stephen Maing chronicles, the efforts to unionize a warehouse in New York were successful — but also a grind."
"The stunning UNION, directed by Brett Story and Stephen Maing... follows a group of Amazon workers in Staten Island as they try to form a union."
"Captures both the pain and the power of people at the base of a global infrastructure."
"A stark reminder that while victories for the American worker can still be achieved, the struggle is ongoing."
"Premiering earlier this year at Sundance, the latest film from Brett Story (The Prison in Twelve Landscapes, The Hottest August) and Stephen Maing (Crime + Punishment), following the Amazon Labor Union’s historic fight for workplace rights."
"The level of detail with which the filmmakers depict the unionization process is eye-opening."
"Stephen Maing and Brett Story’s unsurprisingly riveting Union is the one Sundance selection most assuredly not coming to Prime Video anytime soon — or ever."
"The kind of rights that the ALU secured – however reasonable and modest – are still precarious, have never been freely given and need to be fought for."
"Riveting… Only with Maing and Story jointly behind the lens... there’s enough street cred between the two to inspire unwavering trust."
"Has all the drama and intrigue that a narrative feature could offer."
"A raw examination of labor organization at its most powerful, pure, and fragile."
"Using unobtrusive direct cinema techniques, the documentary takes us inside the fledgling union..."
"A key addition to the canon of workers’ cinema... Traces the intimate, intense vérité approach..."
"Tough and gripping… because — of how eagerly this film throws us into the frontlines..."
“Rooted in a stirring recognition that sometimes we must strive for a better world even if we don’t have a perfect alternative in place.”
“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. The documentary UNION pulls together the stories and journeys of those fighting against them, centering Chris Smalls, the famed organiser of the company’s first-ever union.”
“A sober look at the internal guessing games and debate that ensue within a movement because of an impervious adversary … Individually, the imagery Maing and Story capture may not call attention to itself, but fittingly, it holds tremendous power collectively.”
“‘Union,’ Award-Winning Doc About Extraordinary Bid To Organize Amazon Workers, Announces October Theatrical Release” - DEADLINE