Goldenseal will be publishing my annual list of new films on WV and Appalachia this fall. Only 16 films will be included – less than half of the 58 items that include a great web-based film with Kathy Mattea and Ross Ballard’s great “audio movie” Crum. Below is the complete list as of July 21, 2008. New films are always being made, and I will list those in my 2009 listing. Tony Rutherford, who writes for Graffiti, as I did for 15 years, posted a nice story on the selected list that will appear in Goldenseal.
About access: The biggest problem for WV libraries ordering independent videos, audio books, and other items is finding a vendor that sells them. All of the filmmakers directly sell their films. The following sources sell some of the new items –
1. Appalachian Book Company, formerly Frog Creek Books - Mike Sublette has changed his used book store into a leading source of WV/Appalachian items, particularly videos, audio books, and music. He sells more films by WV’s filmmakers than any other organization. Visit his website at – http://www.frogcreekbookswv.com/. Farmers Market,Charleston. 2. WV Book Company – The largest distributor of books by WV’s authors. DVDs include – “October Sky,” “Coal Camp Memories,” “Ashes to Glory,” “Matewan” and “The Appalachians.” http://www.wvbookco.com/
Charleston. 3. MountainMade – They sell several videos produced by theAugusta Heritage Center, “The Appalachians” and B.J. Gudmundsson’s “Out of the Storm.” http://stores.homestead.com/MMade/StoreFront.bok. Thomas.
4.Tamarack Center – This center is best-known for selling WV products. They also sell WV books and films. Only a few are shown on-line – they actually sell many more. Visit their website or call them directly. http://www.tamarackwv.com/catalog/category/category,150.aspx.
Beckley. 5. WVPBS has created many great films during the last 30 years.They now sell Luis Argeo’s 2007 film, “AsturianUS,” about people from northern Spain to
Harrison County, WV. Contact – Debbie Oleksa,West Virginia Public Broadcasting,
Morgantown, 1- 888-596-9729.Cell phone – 304-685-8025. *************************
30 DAYS – WORKING IN A COAL MINE2008 55 mins. FX Cable
West Virginia native son and famous filmmaker Morgan Spurlock stars in the opening episode of his FX Cable series, “30 Days” that premiered on June 3, 2008. He returned to Southern West Virginia where he stayed with an underground mine supervisor, working the regular day shift for 30 days as a “red hat.” He also takes a little time to socialize with the miners and their families, and briefly explores the problems of mountaintop removal mining and the destruction of both the environment and the coal miners’ health. Morgan goes to Bolt, West Virginia and lives with Dale and Sandy Lusk. Dale, the supervisor of the mine where Morgan works, has mined coal for 35 years and introduces Morgan to a miner’s way of life. Morgan gains an understanding of the financial benefits that draw people to coal mining, but also learns, first hand, the dangerous conditions that miners must face every day. As a new miner, Morgan is assigned much of the grunt work, including plastering, building wooden roof supports, shoveling coal and hauling heavy equipment. On his days off, Morgan leaves the mine to examine some of the bigger issues surrounding the coal industry. He meets with Peggy Cohen, 36, the daughter of a miner killed in 2006 in a Sago, West Virginia mine explosion. Morgan also talks to both coal industry executives and environmentalists about surface mining and mountain-top removal to gain perspective on the pros and cons of an industry that provides the U.S. with the raw materials for 50% of our electricity. From FX website – http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/30days/episodeguide.phpAccess: Spurlock screened the film at the Tamarack Theater in
Beckley, WV, on June 2, the night before the episode was shown on TV. He invited the miners he worked with, his family which lives in
Beckley, and several WV filmmakers including Daniel Boyd and Terry Lively. Season One and Season Two of 30 Days was release June 2008. BACK TO THE BOTTLE
2008 25 mins. Laughing Cat Films West Virginia filmmaker Francesca Karle made the national news for her first film about the homeless in Huntington, “On the River’s Edge.” She made the film in high school as a Girl Scout project. Now as a sophomore at Marshall University, she has returned to the streets of Huntington to make a film about alcoholism. Using the life of one of the street people she portrayed in “River,” he tells his own story on how he became addicted to alcohol. Several local experts on the disease are interviewed. Filmed at
Ritter Park, St. Mary’s Medical Center,Heritage Farm Museum and Village and Sharkey’s. Jamie Lee Curtis and Clint Howard, two Hollywood actors, also appear. Access:karle2@marshall.edu THE BITUMINOUS COAL QUEENS OF
PENNSYLVANIA2005 89 mins.Hollywood actress Sarah Rush returns to her hometown of Carmichaels, Pa, insouthwestern Pa. She won the local “Coal Queens” pageant at age 16. The 50thanniversary of the Coal Queen Pageant and King Coal Festival in 2003. 14 differenthigh schools send their competitors to the finale held at the State Theater in Uniontown.Working coal miners are also interviewed, facing the end of their occupation. Access:Amazon, etc.Official website – http://www.coalqueens.com/.
BOB NOONE & THE WELL HUNG JURY 2004 55 mins. Lawsongs.com
West Virginia lawyer/comedian/singer-songwriter Bob Noone is filmed at the Greenbrier Resort. He has traveled the US, reveling in the outrageous with a comedy show that lifts melodies from famous pop, doo-wop, disco and gospel genres – transforming current events into hilarious lyrics and music. This DVD offers the “visual effect” of The Bob Noone Show, not available on his CDs. Songs performed include “The McJava Song,” “My Will,” “My Lawyer’s Back, “Martha Stewart Blues,” “A.C.L.U.” and others. His band includes Mountain Stage musicians Julie Adams and Ron Sowell, along with Dr. Paul McCusker on sax. Access: www.lawsongs.com. BURNING THE FUTURE: COAL IN AMERICA
2008 89 min. American Coal Productions Burning the Future: Coal in America is the story of an ancient rock that transformed a nation, using America’s thirst for cheap energy to frame today’s battle between the downtrodden residents of the coalfields of West Virginia and the industry that dominates a region and influences politics at the highest levels of government. It explodes with shocking images of the havoc wreaked on people. And it makes a heartfelt plea to the consumer to stand up and pay attention to the hidden costs of our cheap electricity. In the wake of the coal mining tragedies of 2006 and 2007 in West Virginia and
Utah, Americans ask why, in this day and age, we still mine coal. The reason is startling: each time a switch is flipped, we burn coal. 52% of
America’s electricity comes from the combustion of this most polluting of fossil fuels, and today we mine coal at feverish rates, more than at any time in our history. But the nation pays an extraordinary price for this ostensibly cheap form of energy. Mountains are blown up and streams are buried to surface-mine coal. Miners are increasingly put at risk as shortcuts are used to increase production at any cost. Communities are blasted with explosions, flash floods, and poisoned water. When coal is burned, its impurities cause acid rain, mercury in our lakes and oceans, toxic particulates in our air, and unabated greenhouse gases. In short, coal is an environmental and human disaster.There is another side to the story, the compelling history of what coal has done for our country and continues to do for us every day. In the post 9/11 years especially, it is the key to energy independence and national security. Our lifestyles thirst for more and more technology, and that means more electricity. Why look elsewhere when we are sitting on a 250 year supply of energy that can be mined by Americans, used by Americans, and never exploited as a pawn by other nations. Burning the Future frames the current dialogue in the context of today’s unique point in energy history.We experience the intense camaraderie that dangerous underground work forges between men. We witness the technological innovations that make coal cheap to consume. We come to understand the social and market forces of our national, unquenchable thirst for energy. And we follow this beautiful black rock from cradle to grave; from deep within the earth to the belly of the beast, where millions of tons of coal feed massive power plants, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Then there’s the war, increasingly fought with civil disobedience, to stop collateral damage felt far beyond the mines. In the shadow of
Washington’s pro-industry policies, some coalfield residents want an end to coal, or at least an end to the industry’s most egregious practices: mountaintop removal mining and coal waste impoundments. Mountaintop removal is a process by which our most diverse forest is destroyed, millions of acres of mountains are blown up, and thousands of miles of streams are buried, leaving behind a wasteland that will take a millennium to restore and causing massive flooding and erosion in the hollows that are home to a proud and resilient people. Coal waste impoundments, man-made lakes up to 500 feet deep, are filled with a toxic black pudding. These unlined and poorly dammed structures dot the Appalachian landscape, causing devastating illness and death through dam breaks, leakage and intentional injection into groundwater. Burning the Future soberly illustrates the suffering of the residents of West Virginia who struggle to preserve their mountains, their culture and their lives in the face of the omnipotent King Coal. They fight a losing political battle on a local level, and then group together to journey to the United Nations to tell their stories and they shout out in Times Square to the whole world, “Please! Would someone turn down the lights?!”Burning the Future brings these stunning and heart wrenching impacts of coal mining to a national audience and connects the dots from the battlefield to the power outlet in every home in
America. And the time to educate has come, as coal is touted as the keystone of our energy policy moving well into the future. If allowed to continue unabated, what will remain in central Appalachia will be a toxic waste dump, uninhabitable for generations, and no longer providing the clean water that surrounding cities will need.Alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy are beginning to gain momentum, but as Burning the Future illustrates, the funding of these initiatives has been a trickle at best. Technology is poised to leap forward towards a cleaner world if only national leadership would embrace change. Solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, even nuclear power can replace a significant portion of our fossil fuel consumption – especially when coupled with improved efficiency and conservation. In the DVD version of Burning the Future: Coal in
America, we look at the landscape of solutions and encourage our audience to participate in the dialogue for a sustainable energy future.The new baseball team, “The West Virginia Power,” exemplifies how
America is intrinsically tied to power. In “Appalachian Power Park,” teenagers in mining costumes serve burgers and beer and the mascots are all sources of energy. Here at the ballpark, coal and power are as American as baseball itself. At this point in our history, we cannot simply flip the switch, trip the breaker or power down. But in our complacency, in our reluctance to fully support alternatives, we are accomplices to a crime against nature and our fellow Americans. Burning the Future: Coal in
America encourages both the consumer and the supplier to take an honest look and embrace change. Access: http://www.burningthefuture.org/
CHARLESTON THE OPERA 2008 90 mins. Squonk Opera As part of Charleston’s annual arts festival, “FestivALL,” Squonk Opera of
Pittsburgh was commissioned to produce a portrait of the city. David Wohl of WVSU hired local filmmakers to interview local people, mixing the footage with more artistic footage of the city’s monuments and spaces. Three local dance groups performed their own choreography on stage and students from Piedmont Elementary colored “imagination maps” of the city which were then animated into a video sequence. This art event was NOT a film but rather a performance art piece with about 20 minutes of film footage used in the multi-media event. The world premiere took place at The WV Cultural Center on June 21, 2008. Website – http://www.festivallcharleston.com/ Access: None for the film. Music used in the event is available at the Squonk Opera website http://www.squonkopera.org/store.html. The title is “You Are Here.”
CHILDREN OF JACOB
1999 9 min.
Ohio-raised filmmaker Jeremy Newman visited his relatives in Charleston, West Virginia to make this film about the B’Nai Jacob Synagogue located in Charleston’s
East End. The 9 minute film, shot in 1999, was premiered at the WV Jewish Film Festival program, ‘Jews in Shorts,” July 28, 2002. Newman has directed other indie documentaries and presently lives in New Jersey where he teaches filmmaking. Access: Steve Fesenmaier or jerenew8@yahoo.com.
COAL BLACK VOICES 2003 56 min. Media Working GroupFeatures the work of the Affrilachian Poets, an ensemble of African-American andminority writers from Appalachia and the South who challenge the notions of an all white region and culture and celebrate their African heritage and rural roots whileencompassing themes of racism and black identity. Frank X Walker, consulting producer on this film, is a writer and founding member of the Affrilachian Poets. His photographs, poetry, short stories and essays have been featured in numerous publications, including “The Appalachian Journal,” and “Spiritand Flame: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Poetry.” He has recentlypublished his first book of poems by Old Cove Press called “Affrilachia.” He coined theterm “Affrilachian.” Film website with study guides and place to purchase DVD -http://www.mwg.org/production/documentary/voices/. (Available on-line also.)Frank X. Walker’s website – http://www.frankxwalker.com/index.htm.
A COAL TRAIL
2007 53 min. Cadiz/Hicks Production
Five parts. 1. A slide show with music of the National Coal Heritage Area. 2. GordonSimmons 25 minute interview with Mr. Hicks on Simmons’ cable show, “WV Author”.3. A few scenes from his proposed feature film, “A Flaming Rock.” 4. MiningReflections. 5. A slide show of Caretta and other coal camps around War, McDowellCounty. Access: More info on the DVD “A Coal Trail” and the coming feature, “AFlaming Rock” can be found at the film’s website – www.aflamingrock.com. ContactMr. Hicks for a personal visit, etc. at – enie31@aol.com 937-258-2306
CRUM 2007 MountainWhispers.com Ross Ballard III, founder of West Virginia’s only audio book company, has produced a world-class “audio movie” of Lee Maynard’s hilarious book by the same name. Banned in WV when it was first released in 1988, “Crum – The Novel” has been called the new ‘Catcher in the Rye’ for its irreverent romp through the hearts and minds of 1950’s southern West Virginia. Yes the language is adult and so is the humor, but in the end it is a story of laughter, love, and loneliness. The characters Maynard portrays in this well written novel takes us to places and passions we whispered about in school. If you grew up in the south you were warned by good intentioned mothers to steer clear of these kids. Yet, in the narrow Tug Valley town of Crum, WV that would be hard to do. So you get to know every last one of these coming-of-age thieves and deviants, even as they steal a bit of your heart. Original music by Pops Walker. Soundtrack also available. Access – http://www.mountainwhispers.com/MWGiftShop.htm EVEN THE HEAVENS WEEP 1985 55 mins. WV PBS-TV
The story of the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921, the largest armed labor conflict in American history. TV star Mike Connors narrates this classic story about the long and bloody history of coal in Appalachia. Access: WVPBS TV. Debbie Oleksa
West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Morgantown, 1- 888-596-9729.
EXPERIENCE FENTON? 28 min. The Fenton Art Glass Company was founded in 1905. It has been producing the world’s most beautiful handmade glass products ever since. This film traces its history and shows how many of the amazing products are made. It emphasizes the importance of the relationship between the Fenton management and the glass workers who produce the products. The company almost closed in 2007, but a surge of purchases brought the company back to life and it continues to thrive. More information at – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenton_glass.Fenton website – http://www.fentonartglass.com/Access to this film: Fenton Glass website, http://www.fentonartglass.com/shop/item.asp?item=FG141/
FIDDLIN’ WAYNE STRAWDERMAN 2005 28 min. Real Earth ProductionsWayne Strawderman has been entertaining folks with his fiddle and mandolin playingfor over 50 years. This film tells about his early life growing up in Mathias, WV, themusical influences in his life, and the “good home fellowship” that characterizes himand his music. The film contains archival photographs, excerpts of Wayne Strawdermanplaying fiddle tunes at the Lost River Museum and with his popular band The TroutPond Pickers, and commentary from his good friend and band mate Ralph Hill. Access:Real Earth Productions, http://realearthproductions.com/
FIGHTING ON TWO FRONTS – THE UNTOLD STORIES OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN WW2 VETS
2007 56 min. WVU School of Journalism
Professor Joel Beeson of the WVU School of Journalism investigated the intense racism shown toward black GIs in World War II. He interviewed one woman and several men, all but one from West Virginia, who fought for their country while facing life-threatening racism at times and constant harassment as the norm. One story is told by Marcus Cranford of Cassville, near Morgantown. During the month long Battle of Iwo Jima, Cranford’s Navy Seabee battalion of black soldiers was deployed to the island, unarmed, to unload supplies on the beach for U.S. forces while some of the deadliest fighting of the war was going on around them. The other people interviewed were Madelean McIver of Charles Town, one of only 3,000 blacks in the Women’s Army Corps during the war; John Watson of Beckley, a crew chief with the Tuskegee Airmen; and Hughie Mills of Las Vegas, who volunteered for the 761st Tank Battalion after the Battle of the Bulge. Former WV State Professor Ancella Bickley was helped Beeson find veterans willing to talk about sometimes very bitter experiences during the war. George Rutherford, the president of the Charles Town NAACP was also very helpful, as he found two surviving African American WACs in his area — remarkable considering their were only about 3,000 black women who served among the estimated 140,000 total number of WACs during WWII. Beeson was honored by the Congressional Black Caucus Veterans’ Braintrust in September 2007 for his work on the film. The Veterans’ Braintrust is one of the most powerful political and educational groups advocating on behalf of blacks serving in the armed services and veterans. He is working on a 90 minute version that will include an interview with E. Ray Williams of Welch, McDowell County, WV. WVPBS filmmakers including Russ Barbour, director of “West Virginians at War,” WVU Television filmmaker Jacob Young, and others collaborated to create this first film about the reality of vets of color. Richard Fauss, state film archivist at the WV State Archives, also assisted. It premiered on Veterans Day 2007 on WVPB. Partial funding provided by the WV Humanities Council. The WV Veterans’ History Project – http://veteranshistory.wvu.edu/news/2004/03092004.shtml. Access the film:Professor Joel Beeson – joel.beeson@mail.wvu.edu A FLAMING ROCK! COAL2007 61 mins. Cadiz/Hicks Productions This is a second film made by Enoch Hicks and Ellery E. Cadiz. Hicks grew up in War, McDowell County where this film had its world premiere at its annual Fall Festival. The film has 15 chapters that cover everything from the origin of coal to a tribute for a miner’s family servicemen. Additional short films cover a history of mining safety, a history of mining machinery, a simulated mine explosion, and a portrait of War, WV. Access: www.aflamingrock.com Contact Mr. Hicks for a personal visit, etc. at - enie31@aol.com 937-258-2306
GEORGE CRUMB – VOICE OF THE WHALE 1976 54 mins. Robert Mugge Productions Robert Mugge, one of the most prolific filmmakers of musicians, began his long career in the genre with this film about WV native son Crumb. Crumb was one of the first people inducted into the WV Music Hall of Fame in fall 2007. Crumb spent most of his career teaching in Philadelphia, winning many awards including the Pulitzer. Access: WVLC has a 16 mm copy of the film. See Steve Fesenmaier, WVLC, about DVD copy.
HILLBILLY – THE REAL STORY 2007 120 mins. Moore Huntley ProductionsThe original title of this film was “Appalachia – America’s First Frontier.” The staff at The History Channel renamed it. It premiered on Sunday, September 2, 2007 at 8 PM on The History Channel. Wess Harris, publisher of William C. Blizzard’s landmark book, “When Miners March,” and Ross Ballard III, who produced the audiobook version of the book, provided research for this film. William C. Blizzard is interviewed about the role his father played in the Battle of Blair Mountain and Ballard explains some of its meaning.
It takes the viewer on a 300-year journey from the violent border wars of the Scottish lowlands to the rough and tumble Appalachian stock car races of the 1950s. BillyRay Cyrus hosts the program. It tells stories about the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780, Tennessee when a small army of mountain men beat the British Army and turned the tide of the American Revolution; the saga of the Appalachian moonshiners’ deadly war with the Federal revenuers and the dramatic tale of the most famous American folk hero of whom you’ve probably never heard –moonshining outlaw Lewis Redmond; the building of the epic Clinchfield Railroad into the Appalachian mountains – one of the costliest railroads in dollars and lives ever built; the largest civil insurrection since the Civil War — the Battle for Blair Mountain in the violent West Virginia coalfields in 1921, when a self proclaimed Redneck Army of 10,000 coal miners fought for their right to organize; the First Family of stock car racing — the Fabulous Flocks, 3 outlaw bootlegging brothers from a hell-raising family who went on to pioneer modern stock car racing; the century-long fight of the snake handling churches of Appalachia for the right to practice their deeply-held religious beliefs; the TVA Fontana Dam, whose construction by the hard working and patriotic hillfolk in 1942 helped win a World War half the world away; and Popcorn Sutton, the legendary moonshiner and mountain man who, at age 74, keeps defying the law by producing his centuries-old recipe for homemade whiskey in clandestine stills in the mountains…. and who, after 60 years of moonshining, is still paying the price for his convictions with new criminal convictions. Access: The History Channel http://store.aetv.com/html/home/index_branded.jhtml.
HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW
1999 28 mins. Appalshop Appalshop filmmaker Ann Lewis made this film about West Virginia native Ethel Caffie-Austin, a daughter of the coalfields. She is West Virginia’s “First Lady of Gospel Music.” This program features Ethel performing a range of spirituals, hymns and contemporary gospel numbers that represent the rich cultural heritage of African American song and worship. Ethel’s enthusiasm and belief in the redemptive power of faith are apparent as she is seen teaching gospel to a youth group, ministering to inmates at a state prison, and leading the choir at the Black Sacred Music Festival in Institute, WV. Oral history, archival material, and interviews are combined with performance footage to tell a powerful story of personal freedom and triumph through faith, wisdom, and the support of a caring community. Ms. Austin has had numerous honors awarded her throughout the U.S. and Europe. She was guest artist at Wolf Trap, has sung with Pete Seeger, and appeared on West Virginia’s Mountain Stage with Joan Baez, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and Kathy Mattea. She made her debut at the Kennedy Center in Women of Gospel, a musical review of great African-American female gospel music singers, in February, 1991. Access: Appalshop website ICY MOUNTAIN- THE QUIRKY FIDDLING OF LELAND HALL2007 36 mins. Augusta Heritage Center
Solo Fiddling from Central West Virginia. Leland Hall plays tunes and comments on hissources and inspirations through a 36-minute film. Ten tunes are also presented in slowmotion, standard pitch, for learning purposes. Produced and directed by Gerald Milnes.Access – Augusta Heritage Center Store – http://www.augustaheritage.com/store.html.
KATHY METTEA ON MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL MINING 2007 5 mins. Charleston Gazette In July 2007 Kathy Mattea, a native of Cross Lanes and graduate of Nitro High School,returned to her native West Virginia from Nashville where she has become an award winning country-western singer celebrity. She visited Larry Gibson at KayfordMountain, and flew over mountaintop removal sites. The scenes brought her to tears. OnTuesday, July 10th, during a cloudburst on the steps of the West Virginia State CapitolBuilding, she held a press conference along with the Sierra Club to tell the press whatshe felt after seeing the effects of MTR on the land and people. Many anti-MTRactivists were present including Congressman Ken Hechler, Bill Price, ReginaHendricks, Larry Gibson, Maria Gunnoe, Judy Bonds, Denise Giardina, Mary EllenO’Farrell, Vivian Stockman, and others. Mattea has been working on a new albumcalled “Coal” that would focus on the history of coalmining in Appalachia. She has beenactive in Al Gore’s “The Climate Project.” Official website -http://www.mattea.com/KathyMatteaHome.html. To view the Gazette footage -http://media.cnpapers.com:80/mattea/ KEN HECHLER – IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE2008 120 mins. Marshall University Libraries Barbara Winters, dean of Marshall University Libraries, Russ Barbour and Chip Hitchcock , well-known WVPBS filmmakers worked for several years producing the first official documentary about one of the Mountain State’s most influential citizens. As a Congressman and WV Secretary of State, professor/teacher, author, and environmental activist, Hechler changed the face of WV and national politics from 1958 when he was first elected to Congress. Interviews with many celebrities including George McGovern, Robert Dole show how devoted Hechler was to helping the common citizens of the state and country, not himself or powerful corporations. Official Ken Hechler website – www.kenhechler.us. Access: A copy will be given to each public library in West Virginia. To purchase a DVD – Marshall University Libraries. wintersb@marshall.edu THE LAST GHOST OF WAR
2008 57 mins. Gardner Documentary Group This film is about the long-term effects of Agent Orange – on the people of Nitro, WV who produced the chemical, the American and Vietnamese soldiers who directly had contact with the chemical, and the civilian population of Vietnam who also have had long-term contact with the chemical – as they still do. Many are plaintiffs in a class action suit against 32 US chemical companies. Attorneys, activists, scientists, and military experts present the latest information on the on-going disaster of the Viet Nam War 30 years after it ended. Greg Harpold, a South Charleston filmmaker, filmed local scenes and people. Narrated by Kevin Kline. Promoted by the War Legacies Project – http://www.warlegacies.org/AgentOrange.htm. Access: www.gardnerdocgroup.com THE LAST SIN EATER2007 117 mins. Fox Faith ProductionsA film adaptation of Francine Rivers’ novel about a 10-year old girl living inAppalachia in 1850 who must face her greatest fear to overcome her feelings of guilt.This tale of Welsh immigrants uses the concept of the “sin eater” to contrast with theforgiveness offered by a Christian preacher who finds his way to their “cove.” LouiseFletcher and Henry Thomas star in this tale about the harsh truth of white settlement.Filmed actually in Utah, the mountain landscapes are gorgeous and the story poignantabout old ways giving way to the new. Access: Amazon.com, etc.
METHOD IN THE MOUNTAINS 2007 50 mins. Lower 40 Films Fascinating film about a promising actor from West Virginia who wins scholarships to NYU and then the Lee Strasbourg School of Acting. He drops out because of expenses, returning home to his family in Southern WV. Eventually he brings Mauricio, a teacher at the famed school, to Pikeview High School in Princeton where he puts on a workshop for 10 local students, ranging in age from 14 to 48. The family, friends, and town folk give their attitudes about acting, movies, and what is going on at the local acting workshop. Eventually at the farewell party local musicians and family members celebrate the many positive effects of the workshop. During the course of the workshop, Mauricio takes the students through the relaxation exercise, the song & dance exercise, and the animal exercise. Every student of acting should see this film. Access – Jesse Johnson, While Davitt McAteer was the head of mine safety under President Clinton, he made this film. It tells the story of the struggle for mine safety in the U.S., focusing on the tragedy of Monongah, WV, in which 362 miners died. Access – WVLC has a VHS copy. Contact Steve Fesenmaier, at WVLC, for information on access to DVD copies.
MONONGAH HEROINE 2007 25 mins. Lower 40 Films Gina Martino Dahlia of Fairmont, the acting chairwoman of the broadcast news sequence and a senior lecturer at West Virginia University’s Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism, produced the half-hour film about her home community where she presently lives. She remembers and honors the widows and children who were left following the disaster. Access: contact her at the WVU School of Journalism. MONONGAH REMEMBERED2008 30 mins. Peter Argentine Productions Inc.
Pittsburgh filmmaker Peter Argentine directed this film about the greatest loss of life as the result of a coal mine disaster in American history. On December 6, 1907, the Monongah Mine Disaster took place in the small Harrison County town outside Fairmont. He includes information about a visit by two Italian delegations from two regions in Italy,
Calabria and Molise, where many of the miners who were killed grew up. Argentine is trying to raise funds to expand the film to an hour. If you are interested, visit his website at – www.argentineproductions.com. Website for the film – http://www.monongahmovie.com/ Access for DVD: Website.
MONSTERS IN AUTUMN 2006 27 mins. Charles Cline Braxton County filmmaker Charlie Cline once again applies his twisted sense of humor to a well-known story – the lives of Frankenstein, Wolfman and Dracula. In his earlier film “Archive” he retold the story of Little Red Riding Hood. In “Farmer Brown” he shows that an ordinary farmer can fight aliens too. This time he casts three oldsters who recount the trails and tribulations of lives. Intercut with the memories are Super 8-mm scenes of the three monsters as young boys terrorizing a local girl. The Wolfman is shown hanging out in a barn with cows, Frankenstein seems to be in a utility shed surrounded by electrical cables, and Dracula is in his pajamas, mostly in the dark. The script, acting, and editing are all very well done as usual. Hopefully people will be able to enjoy this film before Halloween. Access – Kevin Carpenter, kevincarpenter1@gmail.com MOTHER JONES – THE MOST DANGEROUS WOMAN IN AMERICA2007 23 mins. Mother Jones Museum
Rosemary Feurer and Laura Vazquez, two professors at Northern Illinois University, directed this first complete film about one of America’s greatest leaders. The 23 minute film includes the only film footage of her, speaking on her “100th birthday.” Elliot Gorn, author of the definitive biography on Mother Jones, “Mother Jones—The Most Dangerous Woman in America,” talks about her amazing life. The West Virginia Labor History Assn. inducted her into its WV Labor Hall of Honor in 1980, only second to native son Walter Reuther. She was active in West Virginia, being arrested several times. The film won First Place in the Documentary Division at the Geneva Cultural Arts Commission Film Festival. Access – http://motherjonesmuseum.org/
MOUNTAIN PEOPLE 1975 55 mins. “Mountain People” depicts life in the southern coalfields of West Virginia in the mid 1970s. The Cinda Firestone film attempts to explore the younger generation’s disinterest in the lifestyles passed on from generations before them. Firestone shows us that mountain people are very rich in their own culture and possess knowledge that escapes many of us in modern day life. One of the films many subjects, Myrtle Thomas, is knowledgeable of botany and possess the unique gift of knowing how much lumber to expect from any tree. We see through her grandchildren that such knowledge is becoming a lost art to a new generation. Unfortunately the film shows only the poorer side of the mountain and any modern conveniences were mysteriously omitted. Much of the older generation at the time was resistant to many of the comforts to which most of us have grown accustomed. However, there were also many people who simply couldn’t afford these luxuries. Connections to the outside world through radio and television caused much of the younger generation to become restless and desire a progress that the rural farming communities of the coal fields just could not support. The film was shot on location in Dingess, a small community in Mingo County, and while it shows one very real aspect of mountain life (poverty), it seemed to pour over the stereotypical hill-people life and ignore the very real aspects of other actual mountain people. The film is enjoyable but viewers must be cautioned that this is a New York-style rendition of what mountain life is and although these are very real people, there is another side to mountain life that is conveniently absent.- DVD copy provided by William T. Gambill who also wrote this description. Access – Steve Fesenmaier, WVLC
A MOVING MONUMENT – THE WEST VIRGINIA CAPITOL 2008 55 mins. MotionMasters Diana Sole, producer/director of several previous films about Rev. Leon Sullivan, Senator Robert C. Byrd, and Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, created this portrait of West Virginia’s state capitol building, designed by Cass Gilbert. The state capitol of West Virginia literally floated down the Ohio River from Wheeling to Charleston, moving back and forth several times. This film celebrates the 75th anniversary of the building that was completed in 1932 at the height of The Great Depression. Access: all public libraries in the state have a DVD copy.
One Earth: Makutano on Kilimanjaro 2006 25 mins. Kevin Carpenter This MFA thesis film by Kevin Carpenter strives to explore the idea that life can sometimes mirror art. During production of West Virginia State University Professor Daniel Boyd’s feature film, Makutano, the film crew experienced numerous physical and mental challenges that, by production’s end, echoed themes which were hauntingly similar to those expressed in Boyd’s film. The film also examines the impact of these life-threatening situations on the crew, and how this adversity enhanced an awareness of bi-cultural similarities between Appalachia and Africa. Website – http://www.makutano.info/. Access: Kevin Carpenter at http://www.americasbestwhitewater.com/media-room.cfm.Access – West Virginia Professional River Runners Association, 304.574.2343, wvpro@westvirginia.com REMAINS OF ACTIONS – THE ART OF MORTEN VISKUM
2007 28.5 mins. Bifrost Production West Virginia State University art professor Reidun Ovrebo has created a provocative short portrait of an interesting and well-known artist in her native Norway. The film opens and closes with Viskum wearing a respirator, and as the film progresses, the
viewer discovers why. He has made a career out of using dead animals, human
and animal blood, and even two hands from dead men. He works in many
different areas – painting, photography, sculpture and performance art. His
work has been widely exhibited inside Norway and around the world. He is a
tall, dark-haired man, maybe in his late 20s or early 30s. He began his
career stuffing dead mice into jars. He also created various sculptors with
mice, poised in various human situations. When children asked him why he
didn’t show people, he asked himself why, and eventually was given his first
dead hand which he uses on camera to create one of his “Blood and Glitter”
paintings. Other paintings created with the dead hand are called “The Hand
that Never Stopped Painting.” One can definitely see how this artist
continues in the tradition of Norway’s most famous artist, Edvard Munch. A
friend of mine, Peter Watkins, made one of the best film portraits ever of
the artist, and I recall loaning a VHS copy of it to Prof. Ovrebo. His art
and thoughts made me recall the films of Cronenberg who once was a medical
student. Viskum was once a veterinarian student, and during his recent past,
had to endure his father dying just before his 50th birthday and an aunt
suffering for a year from cancer. His thoughts also reminded me of the
recent “Saw” horror films that also deal with facing death. As he says,
though, he wants people to think about life, not just death and
illness. Access: Prof. Ovrebo at WVSU art history dept. RISE UP! WEST VIRGINIA75 mins. 2008 Patchwork Films B.J. Gudmundsson goes on a personal journey from her birth-place in Pocahontas County to the southern coalfields. There she joins the Mountain Keepers who have been fighting a 20 year battle to save their land and homes from the destructive practices of coal mining and especially mountaintop removal mining. People interviewed include Jean and Jim Foster of Bob White, Mary Miller and Pauline Canterberry of Sylvester, Debbie Jarrell and Ed Wiles of Rock Creek, Maria Gunnoe of Bob White, Larry Gibson of Kayford Mtn, Julian Martin of Charleston, George Daugherty of Elkview, and Robert Gates of Charleston. Music by Agust Gudmundsson, T. Paige Dalporto, Atherine Spurline, Jim Savarino, George Daugherty, Buddy Griffin, James Reams & The Barnstormers, Mindy Michael, Missing Persons Soup Kitchen Gospel Quartet and Higher Ground. The world premiere took place at The South Charleston Museum La Belle Theater on January 12, 2008, co-sponsored by OVEC and Christians for the Mountains. Access: www.patchworkfilms.com
THE ROAD TO OPPORTUNITY – 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WVTURNPIKE
2004 45 mins. WV Dept. of Transportation
The West Virginia Department of Transportation in association with the West VirginiaParkways, Economic Development & Tourism Authority produced this tribute to thelargest construction project in the history of the state. After being a “road to nowhere,”it became a model for highway construction around the country and world, completingthe link between the Great Lakes and Florida. Vintage documentary footage of theconstruction and opening celebration of the Turnpike are mixed with contemporaryinterviews with WV leaders including Senators Byrd and Rockefeller, many WVgovernors including Okie Patterson who was instrumental in starting the project despitevast obstacles. Classic automobile commercials from the 1950s add some context of theimportance of this highway before the Interstate system began under PresidentEisenhower in 1954. The West Virginia Turnpike is a four-lane toll highway, 88 miles in length, between Princeton and Charleston, West Virginia. The entire length of the Turnpike carries Interstate 77; Interstate 64 is carried from Charleston to south of City of Beckley. Described as “an engineering achievement of heroic proportion,” the Turnpike traverses mountainous terrain that required grades of up to five percent and themovement of 70 million cubic yards of earth. The Turnpike climbs from an elevation of600 feet at Charleston to an elevation of 3400 feet atFlat Top Mountain. The Turnpike has 116 bridges – more than one every mile. Three ofits major bridges were named for native West Virginia military heroes – twoCongressional Medal of Honor winners, Sergeant Cornelius Charlton and SergeantStanley Bender, and one noted aviation pioneer, Brigadier General Charles E. (Chuck)Yeager, the first to penetrate the sound barrier. In addition to providing the traveler withthe most direct route south from the Great Lakes and regions of Canada, the Turnpikecarries Interstate 64 to south of Beckley, where it provides a much needed east-westroute as well. Nature’s vistas – the view from Flat Top Mountain, the Bluestone Gorge,spring’s buds and blossoms and fall’s panoply of color – add aesthetics to the list ofconventional values of economy and time found on the Turnpike. Access: WV DOT -Todd Gambill at 558-9231 or David Marcum at 558-9229. WVLC gave a copy to every WV main public library in summer 2008. The DVD includes the dedication and turnpike progress report from 1954.
THE ROCK THAT BURNS –A SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA COALFIELS
Four parts 1997 W.Va. Documentary Consortium & Spectra Media, Inc.
Gary Simmons, a South Charleston raised filmmaker, and Dr. C. Stuart McGehee, chairman of the history department at West Virginia State University and director of the Eastern Regional Coal Archives located in Bluefield, WV at the Craft Memorial Library created this four part series presenting a “positive” view of life in the coal fields.Episode One – 27 minutes. Describes the value to societies of coal as a fuel over the centuries, how the Southern West Virginia coalfields were opened up, the hardships faced by the early coal operators, and the impact of these coalfields on a growing nation.Episode Two – 28 minutes. Shows life underground, how coal was mined, who mined it, and why, even though it was dark dirty dangerous work, mining was looked upon by many as a satisfying occupation that gave them a future in America. It includes reminiscences by those who lived the mining life.Episode Three – 28 minutes. This film portrays life in company towns, the unique form of society created by the coal industry and reminisces from those who grew up in company town. Also covered are the company store, schools, the popularity of baseball, and the freedom that Afro-Americans experienced there. Episode Four – 27 minutes. Covers mining in the 20th century, the quest for unionization, the mine wars, and the introductions of mechanization that ended the hand-loading era. It also studies the popular myths concerning scrip and indebtedness to the company store, as well as exploring what miners were really paid for their hard labor.Websites – Eastern Regional Coal Archives – http://craftmemorial.lib.wv.us/Coal%20Archives.htm Access: WVLC has VHS copies of the four programs. THE SAGO MINE DISASTER – ON THE OTHER SIDE2007 55 mins. Discovery ChannelThis recreation of the January 2, 2006 Sago Mine Disaster in Upshur County, WV tookplace in Harlan County, Ky. near Lynch. The company that filmed the special, BrookLapping Productions of London, England, was contracted by the Discovery Channel toproduce the documentary, which details the explosion and its immediate aftermath, froma delayed rescue response to a miscommunication between officials. Information forthe documentary was gathered from reports, interviews with rescuers and scientists, anddiscussions with McCloy and the families of the deceased miners. Access: It is notavailable for sale from the Discovery Channel. Steve Fesenmaier has a DVD copy. THE SECOND AMENDMENT – A GUARANTEE OF FREEDOM
2008 25 mins. Courtland Media West Virginia filmmaker Ashley Stinnett directed this documentary about the Second Amendment. West Virginia political leaders, both Republican and Democratic, are interviewed. Other people in the media, medicine, and other areas who support an expanded attitude toward the Second Amendment are also interviewed. The importance of teaching one’s children how to hunt safely is emphasized. No one who supports the Brady Bill or other measures to control fire arms is interviewed. The recent events at Virginia Tech are briefly discussed. Access: Ashley Stinnett at oursecondamendment@gmail.com. : P.O. Box 654, Lavalette, WV 25535 SMALL TOWN BEATS 7 mins. 2006WVPBS producer/news reporter Anna Sale and former Morgantown filmmaker Michael T. Miller (editor, “Correct Change,” lots more) team up to profile Chris Kessel (aka 95, G-Mode, Suge White), a white young man who has become a leading promoter of original hip-hop music in Charleston, West Virginia. The focus is an impending WV Entertainers Convention where Kessel and his friends presented their music at the Pour House in North Charleston. He graduated from WVSU and became a father the week after the event. Website – WVWrapscene.com. Access – Anna Sale at WVPBS. STORIES FROM THE MINES 57 mins. 2004 United Studios of America This film dramatizes and documents Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal miner’s role in influencing the relationship between organized labor, organized wealth and the United States government. The program shows how American labor policies and practices were permanently affected by the volatile relationship between immigrant coal miners of Northeastern Pennsylvania and the industrialists who employed them. Re-enactments and historical footage are combined. Filmed on historical locations. Website – http://www.aptonline.org/catalog.nsf/GenreLookup/A561F47E25B2B94885256C440059138E.Historical characters include Clarence Darrow, Access – Appalachian Book Store -
THEM THAT WORK – How Matewan Inspired a State 2008 ? ?? mins. Pewter Productions Jason Brown, a West Virginia filmmaker now living and teaching at UNC Greensboro, decided to make a documentary about the making and importance of John Sayles’ 1987 labor epic, “Matewan.” He interviewed Sayles and some of the stars of the film including Chris Cooper, a recent Oscar winner, and David Straithairn, nominated for his role in “Good Night and Good Luck” as Edward R. Morrow. He also visited the annual reenactment held every May in the actual town of Matewan, and talked to many people whose lives were influence either by helping make the film or afterwards. Access – this film is still not completed as of 7.10.08.
304-544-6740 SIXTEEN TO LIFE 2007 90 mins. Huntington native Mandy Sherwood directed this no-budget indie in Huntington. Two teenage girls deal with family and peer pressures. One girl is the daughter of a rock musician; the other has a conservative father from Pakistan. They sing a song, “16 to Life” in a competition. Other activities include skateboarding and after-school jobs. Access: Kevin Carpenter,
TRAILER TRASH – A FILM JOURNAL 2007 53 mins. West Virginia native Don Diego Ramirez was raised near the race track in Charles Town, Jefferson County. This autobiographical tale talks about his life in a trailer home without electricity or running water, and how he overcame his upbringing by studying art at Shepherd University. His grandmother dies from cancer, he has a baby with severe medical problems, and his sister is accused of murdering his Louisiana-based grandfather. Other family members including his deceased mother have problems with drugs and the law. Using exactly the right style of film – super 8 mm, video, etc, he narrates his thoughts and feelings about the super-intense life he lead for nearly a three year period between May 11, 2004 and January 6, 2007. The court case still has not been completed so the film is still evolving. Original music and audio by Ben Townsend, editing: David Wanger. Produced, filmed and directed by Don Diego Ramirez. Website – http://www.trailertrashafilmjournal.com/. Access: Don D. Ramirez, P.O. Box 31, Shenandoah Junction, WV 25442. http://www.wvculture.org/history/av.html
Kaiser Aluminum, 1957;Walter Reuther at the West Virginia Centennial Celebration, 1963;Hominy Falls Mine Disaster, 1968; Farmington Mine Explosion, 1968; Black Lung Rally,1969; UMWA Presidential Candidate Arnold Miller at Miners’ Rally, 1972; Dedication of theMine Health and Safety Academy, 1976. All of the films are longer than the versions posted atthe website. Access: Steve Fesenmaier has a DVD copy of these posted short films.
WIDEN FILM PROJECT 2008 55 mins. Killer Productions Charleston filmmaker Kelley Thompson was hired in 2006 by the Central Appalachia Empowerment Zone to interview Clay Countians, filming their memories. He found that many recalled life in Widen, the famous company town built by J.G. Bradley who was a national and state coal mining leader. He also learned about the 1952 U.M.W.A. strike at Widen. He interviewed William C. Blizzard, son of the union leader Bill Blizzard, Gordon Simmons, president of the WV Labor History Assn. and others about the strike. (Julia Baker wrote “Up Molasses Mountain” based on her father’s memories of the time.) The film covers other areas including the Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad, and sports history with legendary coach Bobby Stover. The world premiere of the film took place at The South Charleston Museum May 10 @ 7 PM co-sponsored by SCM and the WV Labor History Association. Access – Kelley Thompson, killer64@suddenlink.net, 304-344-1990 (home) ________________________________________________________________ General Websites:Steve’s AppLit website listing hundreds of films on WV/Appalachia –http://www.wvla.org/springfling/index.htmlSteve’s Charleston Gazette Gazz – WVFilm – website -http://www.thegazz.com/gblogs/wvfilm/Steve’s list of films on mountaintop removal mining at OVEC –http://www.ohvec.org/links/mountaintop_removal/documentaries.htmlWest Virginia Filmmakers Film Festival –http://www.landmarkstudio.org/wvfff/index.htmlWest Virginia Film Series at the South Charleston Museum –http://www.geocities.com/scmuseum/WV_Film_Series.htmlWV Film Office –http://www.wvtourism.com/spec.aspx?pgid=22
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[...] This year’s list describes 16 of the 49 films that I included in my 2008 list. Some of the films I listed, like Morgan Spurlock’s great “30 Days” working as a real red hat coal miner in Southern WV, wasn’t included because of lack of access. Others were web-based, one (”Crum”) is an audio book, or as I call it, “an audio movie.” ( You can read my original descriptions of all 49 films here, posted at this website.) Goldenseal just has so much space to tell the world about the amazing world of films about WV that come out each year. Likewise, I am sure, with music being produced by or about the state. [...]
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