In the Company of Men

William Greaves was given complete directorial freedom for this commissioned film about how companies could employ the so-called “hardcore unemployed.” He decided to focus specifically on African American men who had withdrawn from the workforce due to their negative experiences with white supervisors. Greaves used a psychodrama-based sensitivity training method developed by Austrian-American physician Jacob L. Moreno, in which improvised role-playing and re-enactments are used to foster mutual understanding and improve communication.

In the sessions led by white instructor Walter Klavun and Black psychiatrist Denis Jackson, Greaves first filmed each group separately before bringing together the white construction and factory supervisors and the prospective Black employees—two groups differing in social class, style of dress, and language use.

The result, recently digitally restored, combines elements of corporate documentary (with an informative voice-over), observational cinema verité (with extended close-ups of faces), and anti-racist activism. With its attention to social bias, hurtful language, and group dynamics, it remains highly relevant today.