Film crews are arriving in Pittsburgh Tuesday to explore American manufacturing. The feature-length documentary, titled “American Made Movie,” highlights 32 United States cities 32 days.
Co-directors Vincent Vittorio and Nathan Thomas McGill are traveling by bus across the nation to stress the importance of supporting small and large companies that contribute to the national economy and manufacturing sector.
The two believe that knowing how to make “things,” and making those things in America is critically important to the long term health of the country. The film conveys three reasons why manufacturing is important: It employs a lot of people, it creates expertise that other markets want and it teaches innovation.
But instead of merely documenting the lack of American manufacturing since World War II, Vittorio said they’re filming from a problem-solving angle.
“We took that approach of understanding that we all have a relationship to this topic whether we realize it or not and at the end of the day there is a solution,” Vittorio said. “We all have the ability with our demand, with our purchasing power, to change our local community as well as the national economy.”
McGill said American manufacturing isn’t completely extinct, but he added they wanted to find out what it was like for local companies to compete in a global economy. McGill suggested consumers pay attention and do research to support American companies.
“We have to roll up our sleeves, we have to go to our local chamber of commerce websites, we have to look at what the companies are and we have to find our who is doing the employing in our area,” McGill said. “That could be as simple as paying attention when you’re driving through your neighborhood.”
