With These Hands: The Story of an American Furniture Factory

Synopsis

In 2007, unable to compete with cheaper offshore production, Hooker Furniture Co. closed its plant in Martinsville, Virginia, after 83 years in operation. With These Hands follows the last load of wood down the assembly line as it is cut, honed, and assembled into fine furniture. Along the way, employees at the factory share their perspectives on work, community, and survival in a country devastated by de-industrialization and outsourcing.

Director

Matthew Barr

Studio

The Unheard Voices Project

Released

25 April 2009

Genres

Documentary