'As Goes Janesville': Local Filmmaker's Documentary Coming to Theater Near You

Three years ago, Shorewood's Brad Lichtenstein set out to document the Janesville area as it attempted to redefine itself in the wake of the closure of its storied General Motors plant.

The closure amplified an already slumping economy and sagging job market.

But Lichtenstein's new documentary "As Goes Janesville" expands beyond the Janesville area to detail the ensuing political civil war over unions — the impetus of which was Gov. Scott Walker's Act 10.

"I think that there's lots to learn by seeing how (U.S. Rep. and vice presidential candidate) Paul Ryan's hometown changed politically after the GM plant shut down," Lichtenstein wrote in an email to Patch.

It's the story of a town trying to rise above an economic and political crisis.

"... An intimate documentary following laid-off GM workers forced to leave family in search of decent jobs; business leaders seizing the moment to woo companies with the promise of lower wages and tax breaks; and a state senator caught in the middle, trying to win jobs without sacrificing workers’ rights," a synopsis of the film reads.

The film will begin screening Oct. 6, during the Milwaukee Film Festival. On Oct. 11, it will show at Whitefish Bay's Fox Bay Theater. Additionally, a TV version of the film airs nationally on PBS' Independent Lens Oct. 8 — and again in late January or early February.

"As Goes Janesville" gained national notoriety in May, when Lichtenstein, in the midst of a contentious recall election of Walker, released a trailer where Walker tells billionaire donor Diane Hendricks he's trying to "divide and conquer" the unions.

Lichtenstein is hosting a premiere party 7 p.m. on Oct. 6, with proceeds benefiting "bizLab," an effort around the country to use the film to bring business and labor, amid divisiveness, and "bizVizz," a mobile app launching in January that will let users take a picture of a logo or product to instantly learn that company's tax, subsidy, employment and campaign donation record.

Watch more "As Goes Janesville" trailers on the film website.