The rhythmic grind of machinery, the breath of smokestacks, the cacophony of immigrant language all came to define a unique landscape that was the American factory town. Narrated by Studs Terkel, LEATHER SOUL brings viewers back to a time when America's work ethic was forged, and into the present where technological progress has torn apart the fabric of communities. The story of the evolution of Peabody, Massachusetts' leather tanning industry - where a workforce of 20,000 has dwindled to less than 400 - becomes a specific focus that gives insight into a larger picture. Through tightly woven montage and the pragmatic recollection of workers, LEATHER SOUL paints a vivid and poetic picture that plainly shows the undeniable and universal connection between work and quality of life. Winner National Educational Film and Video Festival-Bronze Apple — 1992. Click to see a clip of "Leather Soul".