Ch'Toyota

The samourais in the land of champagne. When the coal mines were abandoned in the north of France in the 70's and 80's, the region was struck by a wave of economic despair. The mining tradition, which had nourished families for generations, had come to end and high unemployment began to tear apart the tightly knit social structure. But last year, a sense of hope returned. The powerful Toyota empire chose Valenciennes, a town in Northern France, as the site for their European factory. 2,000 jobs will be created by January 2001. The region is buzzing. But what will happen when two such different cultures find themselves face to face each with the common interest of survival ? The incredible story of Toyota's revival of the French countryside.