Since Volkswagen first began work on its Chattanooga, TN auto plant in 2008, a film crew has been working around the clock to document the company’s return to assembling cars in the United States. Shot over a four year period, the film “The Chattanooga Story: A German Carmaker Goes to Tennessee” has received quite a bit of praise in the film community, including a Silver Dolphin award at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV festival in 2013.
The feature-length documentary begins with VW’s 2008 announcement of the plant, follows the progress of the construction, and wraps up with the plant’s 2011 opening and first production run of the Passat sedan being manufactured at the Chattanooga location.
Scott Wilson, a spokesman for VW, said the company understood the importance of its return to the U.S. after shutting down the Pennsylvania plant in 1988, which led them to help finance the production of the documentary. “We wanted to make sure it was documented for the ages… The rest of the story is still being written.”
On January 9, a special invitation-only screening of the film will take place at the Tennessee Aquarium’s IMAX Theater. When the rest of the public will be able to view the film is not fully known yet. There have been some discussions to air the documentary on local TV in the Chattanooga area, and all workers at the plant will be given a DVD copy.
United Visions, the German-based film company that produced the film, is hopeful that the recent Cannes award will bring more exposure to the film, and in return will receive distribution deals to bring it to a wider audience.
Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press
Photo: VW
