Heady stuff, but true. For all of us Cassandra’s, we enjoy perverse delight yet sadness in saying, “Told ya so.”
What follows is my e-response to friend David Williams, a forward thinking High Pointer locked in the cauldron and crucible of a status-quo-seeking industry.
He sent it me and others as a reminder of the documentary he co-produced. It is about the reality and despair of the closing of a Hooker Furniture plant.
First. David’s e-blast reminder:
Friends:
As many of you know, I was privileged to be a part of the documentary film "With These Hands," a 79-minute film that chronicles the closing of Hooker Furniture's last domestic plant in Martinsville, Va. in 2007.
The idea for this project began when I introduced myself to Matt Barr, a documentary film professor at UNC-G (University of North Carolina at Greensboro), at the premier of his last documentary.
As a result of a lot of luck and financial help from UNC-G and other contributors, Matt was able to complete this documentary in two years. It is a sad, but honest story about the end of a way of life of which many of us have been a part.
The film begins with Clyde Hooker's recollection of being held up by his grandfather to blow the company's steam whistle to open the plant in 1924.
It then follows the last load of raw lumber as it enters the plant to be cut, sanded, assembled, finished, and loaded on trucks as beautiful bedroom furniture.
Along with Mr. Hooker and the Factory the film's other focus is the recollections of ten production workers, who talk about their experiences at Hooker, the skills that they learned along the way, and their feelings, as they realize that their factory is closing and that the world in which they have known for many years is coming to an end.
"With These Hands" is scheduled to be shown at Elliot University Center at UNC-Greensboro at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, January 30, 2009. I hope that you will be able to join us and share the experience of viewing this documentary together.
David H. Williams, Associate Producer
Here’s my response (with some changes):
David, I will be there.
Your film is prophetic and metaphorical.
The home furnishings industry is dead, along with other industries that failed to distinguish between stationary and motion furniture: They sought to be static in dynamic capitalism always stoked by change.
Our industry fought hard to preserve the status quo, as it waved the American flag, spoke of rugged individualism and free enterprise, but failed to be responsible to themselves, workers and the need to change.
All the so-called vaunted institutions, mostly the associations and trade publications, have aided and abetted the demise, acting as complicit yes-men, always foisting product over process and ideas, failing to recognize turbulence as normal and stability as the exception.
The operative words are punctuated equilibrium, stretches of static activity eventually jolted by reality change. It is analogous to an earthquake fault. We're not prepared but believe we are.
Your movie will be more successful if you allow professors and others to discuss the harsh realities it represents, not just the sadness.
We don’t cry when the deciduous trees lose their leaves because we know in the spring the new season of efflorescence will prepare us for the next winter.
Let’s talk soon.
Ivan
"...along with other industries that failed to distinguish between stationary and motion furniture:"
Posted by: Rick | January 06, 2009 at 01:17 PM