I just finished listening to CSPAN Q & A featuring Heidi Ewing talking about her latest film Detropia. I am anxious to see the film. However, there were some moments in her interview on CSPAN that were chilling for me. Of course the following is a combination of my impressions and my paraphrases of her interview.
At one point she is talking about the Auto union and its workers. She states that, some years back, the compensation for auto workers was "bloated." She gives an example of the auto workers' children being able to get help with homework from a service that was contracted as one of the conpensation packages of the auto workers. She does say that all sides were at fault and described extensive compensations for management and points out management's poor strategic decisions on car models. However, then she comes back to say that the union had to make a concession at some point and that now new auto workers make half of the senior people-period. She just cooly says the union has taken their "lumps." After reporting the drastically reduced wages, Heidi further says, with no emotion, that it is not known whether this will be enough to save the auto industry. Then she talks about some Federal money helping Detroit and then wondering if the money for Detroit is just another bailout. Finally, she openingly wondered if maybe we should tear Detroit and put up something new. She seems detached. But that may be why her film is said to be so remarkable. I really can't wait to see it.
I have, in a nutshell, pointed out my "chilling moments" and therefore my opinions. Heidi said her father was an entrepreneur. Heidi reminds me of myself in 1984. Looking at the recession with some empathy but not really able to "feel" it. She makes no remark about the scene where the workers are taking even more pay cuts. In fact her commentary on the workers demanding too much came after the scene where workers are taking lower wages in all categories. I don't know ....but some how I feel after that interview that the workers were just supposed to accept the lower wages and go on. Of course her thesis may have been narrowed to reporting "what is" not "what can be done." Heidi and Detropia may have left the solutions and the doing up to us. Like I say....I am looking forward to seeing the movie. I just think she did not express much empathy for her subjects --including Detroit--at least not for this "heart on the sleeve" girl. Though I did not see the interview--I know she is much younger than I and it may be a generational communication style that I am not understanding as well .