Lithium Rising

The Race for Critical Minerals

By Samuel George
62min2026
LithiumCritical MineralsSupply ChainBatteries

The global scramble for lithium, cobalt, and nickel is reshaping geopolitics, industry, and the communities caught at the center of the modern rush for critical minerals. Who wins? Who loses?

Award Ribbon

Chagrin Documentary Film Festival

2025
Award Ribbon

Washington DC International Film Festival

2025
Award Ribbon

Global Peace Film Festival

2025

About the Film

Labor organizing, electric vehicle manufacturing, and economic transition in the American South. The electric vehicle industry is booming in the South; so much so that the region has earned the nickname the “Battery Belt”. But why are producers setting up shop in states such as Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee? In part, the trend stems from a historic lack of union representation here. But workers—and labor organizers—have noticed. And they are starting to push back. How this emerging dynamic plays out could transform the future of American industry.

Motown South