"
Wal-Mart Nation," an hour-long documentary by filmmaker Andrew Munger, has its television premier tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on
CBC Newsworld.
The documentary, which was shot over two and a half years, seeks to answer the question of "how the world's most successful, influential, and important corporation became the most hated." According to its press kit (easily available on the doc's web site, just click the link above), Wal-Mart Nation documents Munger's journey through the world of anti-Wal-Mart activism. "The journey took Munger and co-producer Gregory Bennett across North America, and across the Atlantic. From small town Arkansas to east end London, England, people have a real hate on for Wal-Mart. Even Miss America can't stand Wal-Mart. Munger wanted to find out why."
To achieve that end, Munger tells the stories of several anti-Wal-Mart activists. His "cast" includes: Carolyn Sapp, a former Miss America, who founded Wal-Mart Versus Women as a vehicle to publicize the largest civil rights class action suit in US history; Anna Liu, a 23-year old Chinese Canadian union activist determined to unionize Canadian Wal-Mart workers; Al Norman, the dean of anti-Wal-Mart activists; and environmentalist Ben Bennett, who played an integral part in Guelph, Ontario's 10-year battle to keep Wal-Mart out. Munger was also given unprecedented access to the Wal-Mart annual general meeting, and the brief clip I viewed (again on the
Wal-Mart Nation web site) did include interviews with employees and pro-Wal-Mart activists.
I will readily admit an anti-Wal-Mart bias. It's the world's largest retailer, the second largest corporation and China's 7th largest trading partner. As such it's had a deleterious affect on independent retailing and the supply chain. In short, I think retail was better before Wal-Mart. I'll be watching tonight to see if there's anything in Wal-Mart Nation that might change my mind.