Factory Boss (2014)

After successfully running a toy factory in Shenzhen for 20 years, Lin Dalin has to face the economic squeeze and competition from cheaper Southeast Asian countries. New orders are scarce, pay is slow, savings are done on safety rules, and workers threaten to revolt. In order to avoid bankruptcy, Lin reluctantly accepts a large but very low profit margin order from a big international client. Meanwhile Ai Jing, a young journalist, is sent undercover to investigate the working conditions of the factory, one of the many 'blood and sweat' factories. When the government announces a minimum wage increase, the risk of a strike looms. Under intense pressure from all sides, Lin Dalin struggles to hold his business together and fulfill the big order... The confrontation that results will bring the entire industry to the brink of collapse. FACTORY BOSS is a riveting exploration of the challenges of the manufacturing industry in China. Winner of Best Actor at the Montreal World Film Festival.