THE FILM

What do a farmer in Kansas, a laid-off factory worker in Ohio, and an Uber driver in Florida have in common? All three are resourceful, positive thinkers who strive to adapt and thrive despite dehumanizing forces at play in the American economy. As the film’s heroes face these roadblocks with courage, certain ideals remain sacred: family, love, and staying strong in the face of adversity. Lush cinematography galvanizes a sense of place and, as the narrative unfolds, the intimacy with the characters results in an emotionally rich observational drama. Ultimately, “The Disrupted” reveals a collective American experience of financial challenge, family resilience, and the quest for the purpose and dignity of work.

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THE SUBJECTS

DONN

Donn is a fifth-generation farmer, struggling to hold on to 900 acres of Kansas prairie. His father and uncle made a full-time living raising crops and livestock. But in the last decade, corporate consolidation and free-falling commodity prices have made it impossible for small farms to achieve a profit.

Donn desperately wants his farm to survive, but the thought of saddling his children with this burden haunts him. It’s a conversation that Donn would rather put off for as long as possible. When Donn receives a cancer diagnosis, it breaks the silence.

CHERYL

Cheryl didn’t plan on becoming a driver for Uber and Lyft. She spent years working her way up the ladder in the mortgage industry as a single mother raising three kids. But her career came to an abrupt halt in 2008 when the crash bankrupted her employer.

Cheryl turned to driving as a stopgap. In the beginning, she made a good living. Fast-forward and Uber cut driver rates in half, with Lyft following close behind.

While tech companies are valued in the billions, Cheryl rallies Tampa’s drivers to join a series of protests, demanding rideshare companies raise rates. But the rate cuts keep coming. Frustrated and fed up, Cheryl sets her sights on a new business opportunity.

PETE

New beginnings aren’t so easy to come by in Lorain. The closure of the 3M sponge factory, where Pete held a union job for 12 years, is the latest chapter in the city’s decades-long deindustrialization into the Rust Belt.

Lorain was once a boomtown whose boom could be heard all the way in Puerto Rico, inspiring a wave of immigrants in search of a better life, Pete’s parents among them. Today, Main Street is deserted, and an unprecedented drug epidemic drains the city’s resources. This doesn’t dent Pete’s confidence. He has grand visions of reinvention.