Spring 2017. A fading auto parts company named GM&S announces that it wants to close its factory in La Souterraine, an unremarkable town in La Creuse, a rural department in France. The 277 employees don’t take the news lying down: at first occupying the factory, and then threatening to blow up the building.

American filmmaker Lech Kowalski’s captivating film is both a very human story, capturing the fear and the anger of individual employees left high and dry by their employer, and a broader tale of life and work in the 21st century, exploring the inequities of an economic system that seems to favour the shareholder over the worker at every step. Given unlimited access to follow and film the workers’ plans, protests, discussions and debates, Kowalski is ultimately both artist and activist as he documents a story that is surely set to be retold around the world in the coming years.

Blow it to Bits is an ICA Exclusive project.

This film is only available for ICA Members. Get free access to Cinema 3. Join today. 

The film is only available to audiences in the UK. Please do not book if outside the UK, as you will not be able to access the film. 

Blow it to Bits will be available to stream until 27 August, 7pm. Tickets purchased for this film will be valid until the final streaming time.

Blow it to Bits is screening at the ICA Cinema from Tuesday 17 August