Barbara Kopple’s documentary “Union Town,” screening at the Venice film festival, focuses on app-based delivery workers in New York and their efforts to unionise and improve employment conditions. The film depicts confrontations ranging from picket lines to the risks of street-level delivery work.
Across reports, the documentary is described as the third installment in Kopple’s informal labor-focused trilogy. It follows earlier works about strikes and industrial labor, while shifting attention to a more fragmented economy that relies heavily on outsourced and undocumented “deliveristas” who work through third-party contracting arrangements for companies such as Amazon and food-delivery platforms. Because delivery workers are often classified as contractors, the film highlights how companies and platforms can avoid certain employer responsibilities, including covering injuries, pay, and job security.
While both outlets agree on the film’s subject and its labor roots, they diverge on how fully the film delivers its message. One review characterizes the film as passionate and battle-hardened in its presentation, framing it as a forceful exposé of workers’ rights. Another describes the coverage as uneven, suggesting that despite its focus on workers battling larger logistics and delivery forces, the film’s approach varies in effectiveness.
