Cotton Mill, Treadmill (French: On est au coton) is a documentary film directed by Denys Arcand, about the conditions of workers in the textile industry in Quebec.
[1] The plot of the film, now retitled to On est au coton, shifted from being a three-part story about technocrats who serve as the backbone of the state to being about textile workers in Quebec.
Assistant NFB Film Commissioner André Lamy criticized multiple French productions, such as Cotton Mill, Treadmill, 24 heures ou plus, and Un pays sans bon sens!, as being too biased or separatist and were ordered to not be released in 1970.
Commissioner Sydney Newman requested legal advice due to the film featuring members of Front de libération du Québec calling for violence.
[7] A letter signed by thirty-one textile unions affiliated with Confédération des syndicats nationaux calling for the release of the film was published by Le Devoir in 1971.