Staff Photo by Lesley Onstott Aldo Prats, left, George Barnes and Susanne Schmidt film footage Tuesday of the Enterprise South Volkswagen plant for a documentary on its construction for United Visions Productions. The one-hour documentary will be released to correspond with the completion of the plant.

Volkswagen’s return to making cars in the United States and Chattanooga’s role in that move has become the stuff of moviemakers.

United Visions, a German TV and film production company, is putting together a documentary slated to appear after the auto assembly plant opens in early 2011.

The documentary, “They Had to Come Here,” will show not just the plant’s construction but some of the people behind it as well as record the thoughts of Chattanoogans.

“It’s not about concrete and cranes but it’s telling the story of both sides,” said John Lionel Bandmann, the Berlin-based company’s president, at the plant site Tuesday.

Work on the film started in January and filming is done each month.

Susanne Schmidt, the film’s director, said she’s surprised how quickly the $1 billion plant is being constructed.

“I didn’t think it would go up that fast,” she said.

While talking with officials of VW, which is granting the crew access to the site, she is also meeting with Trevor Hamilton, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s vice president for economic development.

In addition, the film-makers have spoken with local restaurateurs at Niedlov’s Breadworks and The Terminal BrewHouse, Ms. Schmidt said.

They plan to film workers at the plant and follow them for a period of time, she said.

Mr. Bandmann said the documentary is to air in Germany, and he’s hopeful it will appear in the U.S. as well.

“It’s interesting to show not just a result but a process,” he said.

Training center

Aiming toward having all of the VW training center’s equipment purchased and installed by mid-February, the city’s Industrial Development Board on Tuesday continued to approve contracts.

The panel approved a $404,000 contract for Detroit-based Comau Inc. to provide manual weld station gear for the center, which will be next to the Enterprise South industrial park plant.

Also, the panel approved a $370,000 contract with Global Manufacturing Alliance of Troy, Mich., to provide 10 manual sealing stations.