2007 New films, web films/audios and audiobook on WV and Appalachia
AppLit has been posting my lists of new and once lost films on West Virginia and Appalachia since 2000. With some serious health problems, this has been delayed for two years. In the meanwhile, here is a list that may be of interest…..
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. 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. 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.” Charleston. 3. MountainMade – They sell several videos produced by theAugusta Heritage Center, “The Appalachians” and B.J. Gudmundsson’s “Out of the Storm.” 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. Beckley. 5. WVPBS has created many great films during the last 30 years. Hopefully I will get a list of what films are available. In the meanwhile, contact - Debbie Oleksa
West Virginia Public Broadcasting,
Morgantown, 1- 888-596-9729.
THE VIDEOS, AUDIOS, AND WEB MOVIES… AFFILIATED CONSTRUCTION TRADES FOUNDATION* A Division of the West Virginia State
Building and Construction Trades Council – AFL-CIO“West Virginia’s Underground Economy” (30 mins., 2006) about companies importing employees from out of the state, paying cash to employees to avoid taxes, etc. - http://www.actwv.org/commercials.mx.Also seventeen TV commercials about the WV Jobs Act, 40 hour work week, outsourcing, clean water, business development and other themes. Access: http://actwvvideo.merlix.com/
ASTURIAN-US
2006 52 MINS.
The town of Arnao (Asturias province, northern
Spain) grew under the wing of the Royal Mining Company. After the closure of its mine and the limitations of its factory at the beginning of the 20th century, many of its employees immigrated to similar factories located far from the sea, at the foot of the mountains of
West Virginia. Several new towns were created: Spelter and Anmoore. 90% of their population was Asturians. Luis Argeo traveled from
Spain in spring 2006 to document these people with the assistance of Chip Hitchcock of WBPBS. You can watch a documentary on the making of the film at this website, produced by WVPBS - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Luis+Argeo&search=Search.Access: Luis Argeo” <argeol@hotmail.com>
The battle of local 5668 2007 54 mins. Shawn Bennett Shawn Bennett grew up in Parkersburg, studying film at Pittsburgh Filmmakers and studying under Julia Reichert (“Union Maids.”) His father Joe worked at The Ravenswood Aluminum plant for years, and was part of the famous lock-out that took place for almost two years starting in 1990. Using historic footage, TV news broadcasts, and interviews with people who took part in one of the most important labor struggles in recent American history, he presents a compelling story of global capitalism vs. devoted workers. The United Steelworkers and fellow union members traveled around the country and world, protesting the inhumanity of the corporate leaders in a model campaign for justice. Marc Rich, an international criminal pardoned by President Clinton during his last day in office, was the man at the top. The film’s website is at - www.battleoflocal5668.com. Access: shawn@shawnbennett.net Barbara Kopple, double Oscar winner for “Harlan County, U.S.A” and “American Dream,” made a short film about the same labor struggle, “Locked Out in America.” See also the book, “Ravenswood: The Steelworkers’ Victory and the Revival of American Labor by Tom Juravich and Kate Bronfenbrenner Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1999. $29.95 The West Virginia Labor History Associated inducted the entire local into its Hall of Honor in 1993. Bethel Purkey, a UMWA member, who was active in the event, was also inducted for his lifetime of organizing in 2005. His wife, Elaine Purkey, sang one of the songs used in Kopple’s film. Beautiful You2006 34 mins. Real Earth Productions Judy and Ray Schmitt have completed their portrait of one of
West Virginia’s most unusual artists, Ai Qiu Hopen, a poet and sculptor. She is the daughter of Chinese beekeepers who found her husband, Bill Hopen, on the web. Hopen is a well known Sutton-based sculptor who also founded the Landmark Studio for the Arts. The title of the film comes from “Beautiful You,” a song by Elaine Wine who was performing in Sutton one night when the Schmitts were visiting. Ai Qiu’s beautiful drawings are shown along with some of her artworks – ragtime musician Blind John W. Boone, a large Charles Chaplin for The China National Sculpture Park, “Peace Prayer,” designed for The International Peace Monument, Shanghai, China, “Bat in Sunshine” for the downtown Shanghai Real Estate Plaza, “The Spirit of the Violin” and many small works of art. She is shown sculpting” Blind Boone” and “Spirit of the Violin.” She talks about her life in China, her work, and her life in
West Virginia with her husband and two young children. Her website - www.aiqiuhopen.com. Access: Real Earth Productions http://www.realearthproductions.com/ Big Jim Calvin
2006 30 mins.
Real Earth ProductionsAfter recently watching two excellent documentaries about musicians, “Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt” and “The Devil and Daniel Johnston” I was ready for some more. I knew that Ray Schmitt had been working on a film about a Nashville musician friend, and had heard some amazing stories about the production, but I was unprepared for the exquisite, touching, hilarious, and profound film he and his colleague Nan Calloway were to make. Jim Calvin grew up in Ohio, lived in Louisiana, California, and
Nashville, traveling the world as a truly entertaining musician. He played with the New Christy Minstrels, appeared in a Hank Williams Jr. video, and was the “only person to write songs both with Bill Monroe and Townes Van Zandt” according to his second wife Nan.I also had to recall the recent great Hollywood film about the Cashes,
“Walk the Line” since he performed with his second to last wife Royann.
You could see in his performances that he was in love with his music first
and his wife/guitar player second – which is standard for musicians.Ray has been making films for more than two decades, playing music himself even longer, and has shown a rare lust for life for someone who has certain physical and familial limitations. I think that he did a great job with his wife Judy editing the film, ranking with his other recent film
masterpiece, “Beautiful You.” They compiled clips from many commercials and performances, making the film move quickly, but not too quickly. Indeed, I wish the film could have spent more time on one of Calvin’s great tales, or even a complete song.
Unfortunately, I didn’t see any info on his CDs. He does refer to his
website, saying that one could find a lot on it. I hope to find that
website and listen to his future in the future. Meanwhile, if you love
music, stories, and life, you will love this new film about a man who
lived in the shadow of the stars – but was a true star in his own way.
Congrats to Nan, Ray, Judy and everyone else who created this tribute to a man who will be missed.
For more on Ray and Judy Schmitt and their many excellent films –
http://www.realearthproductions.com/
BOOK TALK* Book Talk is a weekly 4 minute radio program hosted by McClintic Librarian Vicky Terry and produced by WVMR radio newsperson Heather Dooley. The show is aired during the noon hour on Thursday and around 9:30 am on Friday. WVMR 1370 AM Frost, WV; WCHG 107.1 FM Hot Springs, VA; WVLS 89.7
Monterey, VA.Vicky Terry brings her own reading excitement into her program. Her own questions and feelings as she reads a book along with her sensitivity to her listeners make her program fascinating and entertaining. Listeners want to read the book of the week!Vicky has years of experience in the library world. After many years running a rural library in Michigan, and earning a Masters Degree in Library Science, she moved to West Virginia where she lives with her husband Steve and her two beloved German Shepherds. By the way, the husband is beloved, too. Her daughter, Brianna, is a student at
Marshall. Vicky likes to read in her spare time. –Allen JohnsonWebsite for streaming audio - http://pocahontaslibrary.org/mc/booktalk.htm BURNING ANNIE 2004 95 mins. Van Flesher, a graduate of Marshall University, returned from Hollywood to direct this indie feature film about romance in
Huntington. A young college student is obsessed with Woody Allen’s film, “Annie Hall.” He realizes that he had to break his obsession in order to find true happiness. Winner of “best feature film” at The WV Intl. Film Festival 2004. Shown widely around US at film festivals. Website - http://www.burningannie.com:80/. Access: Amazon.com, etc.
CAM HENDERSON- a coach’s story2007 55 mins. Witek & Novak
Cam Henderson was probably the greatest sports coach in West Virginia’s history, first at Bristol High School in Harrison County, then Davis & Elkins College, and finally at Marshall College. His football and basketball teams were champions. He invented the fast break and zone defense for basketball. Marshall won the national championship in 1947 and broke the color line in West Virginia college sports. Because he didn’t want people to know about his diabetes, his career came to an untimely end. The sports area at MarshallUniversity is named after him. Access: Marshall Bookstore 800-547-1262. The CC Boys: A West Virginia Legacy2006 30 mins. Historic Beverly Preservation Inc. Robert C. Whetsell and Gerald Milnes, who first worked together on “The Cliff-Scaling Soldiers of West Virginia” (2005), have produced another film about lost WV history. During the 1930s, thousands of “boys in green” worked on projects all over the state for the Civilian Conservation Corps. (CCC) They built state parks, planted trees, and did many other things that made the state a much better place to live. Mr. Whetsell was made a “WV History Hero” in March 2006 at The Cultural Center. Mr. Milnes was chosen as 2006 WV Filmmaker of the Year. Access:
Augusta Heritage http://www.augustaheritage.com/store.html CHRISTMAS FAMILY TRAGEDY2006 60 mins. Break of Dawn Productions This film is about the Lawson Family Massacre of Christmas Day, 1929. On that day, respected tobacco farmer Charlie Lawson brutally murdered his wife and 6 of his 7 children before committing suicide; one of the most horrible and mysterious mass murders in
North Carolina history. The Charlie Lawson murders became immortalized in a classic bluegrass murder ballad, ghost stories, tours of the crime scene, and legends known coast to coast. This film shows for the first time the true tragedy: the story of the families, the continuing effect it has on the community, and the tragedy of rural domestic violence. Access: Break of Dawn Productions www.bodproductions.com
Coal Camp Memories 2006 78 mins. WV Enterprises Well-known West Virginia actress Karen Vuranch has been performing her one-person play about the lives of women who grew up in
Appalachia’s coal camps during the first part of the twentieth century around the state, country, and world. In 2006 she filmed her performance at the Hulett C. Smith Theater at The Tamarack Center in
Beckley, WV. Using photos from the George Bragg Collection and music by live performers, she presents the viewer with the life of Hallie Marie, first as an exuberant ten-year-old, demure teenager, young wife, and finally an old woman. Vuranch also has done presentations as novelist Pearl S. Buck, labor activist Mother Jones, humanitarian Clara Barton, Indian captive Mary Draper Ingles, Civil War soldier and spy Emma Edmunds, Irish pirate Grace O’Malley and Wild West outlaw Belle Starr. The WV Labor History Association sponsored the world premiere of the film on Feb. 3, 2007 at The La Belle Theater in
South Charleston. Teacher’s website at - http://www.coalcampmemories.com/ Access – WV Enterprises at http://www.wventerprises.com/Crossings –Bridge Building in West Virginia
2006 56 mins. WV Dept. of Transportation
West Virginia, the most mountainous state east of the Mississippi, is a land of bridges, both famous like theNew River
Bridge, and infamous like The Silver Bridge. Terry Lively, Creative Services Manager of WVDOT, produced and co-directed this film that looks at the many bridges in our state. Digital Vision Works of Dunbar shot and directed the film. Bridges shown - Elm Grove Stone Arch, Van Metre Ford Bridge, Carrollton Covered Bridge, Milton Covered Bridge, Herns Mill Covered Bridge, Hokes Mill Covered Bridge, Fletcher Covered Bridge, Simpson Creek Covered Bridge, Sarvis Fork Covered Bridge, Walkersville Covered Bridge, Dents Run Covered Bridge, Laurel Creek Covered Bridge, the Fish Creek Covered Bridge, Center Point Covered Bridge, Statts Mill Covered Bridge, Indian Creek Covered Bridge, Barrackville Covered Bridge, Philippi Covered Bridge , Wheeling Suspension Bridge , Fayette Station Bridge , Shiloh Bridge, High Level Bridge, Elk Suspension Bridge, Admiral T. J. Lopez Bridge, Moundsville Bridge, Charles C. Rogers Bridge, Lower Buffalo Bridge, Glade Creek Bridge, East Huntington Bridge, Veteran’s Memorial Bridge, Rubles Run Bridge, West Buckeye Bridge, Star City Bridge, Clifford Hollow Bridge, Blennerhassatt Bridge, There are interviews with Van Kirk, Dink Smith, Dr. Emory Kemp, Jim Sothen, Jack Canfield, and Paul Mattox.Website - http://www.wvdot.com/crossings/CROSSINGS_index.html. Access: Every public school and library in WV has a copy.CRUM2007 5 discs Mountain Whispers.com
Lee Maynard published his book version in 1988 to wide acclaim – and derision. It was blocked from being sold at The Tamarack Center in Beckley, but sold thousands of copies statewide and nationwide. It tells the story of a young man growing up in Crum,Mingo
County, learning about life in ways only a rural Appalachian boy could. Ross Ballard, an acclaimed actor, teacher, narrator and native of Mingo County narrates this hilarious book, adding sound effects to make the word images come alive. Pops
Walker provided the musical score. The audio book includes original music by
Walker including “The Blair Mountain Waltz.” Access: http://www.mountainwhispers.com/MWGiftShop.htm.
THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON
2006 110 mins. This is That Productions and Complex Corp.
Daniel Johnston grew up in New Cumberland, WV, eventually becoming homeless and then famous in Austin, Texas. More than 100 groups have sung his songs including Beck, Wilco, Sonic Youth and Pearl Jam. He also became a well-known primitive artist, selling his paintings for thousands of dollars. Using extensive documentation he took of his own life, the madness that hounded him is revealed, eventually sending him to Weston
State Hospital. Winner of the directing award for documentary at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Access: Amazon.com, etc. DOUBLE GEARED LIGHTNING – THE STORY OF LEGENDARY
WEST VIRGINIA FIDDLER WOODY SIMMONS2007 59 Mins. Pocahontas Communications Cooperative Woody Simmons story is told by his friends, neighbors, fellow musicians and his own music and recollections. He was born near Mill Creek, Randolph County on November 13, 1911 and died on June 3, 2005 after a life dedicated to music, motorcycles, and hard work. 22 of the 26 tunes are played by Woody. The music is drawn from recordings from over 50 years. Access: Gibbs Kinderman at AMR.Projects@STARBAND.NET. 1-800-297-2346
The Electricity Fairy
25 mins. 2007 Appalshop
Tom Hansell is best known for his powerful film about overweight coal trucks in eastern Kentucky, “Coal Bucket Outlaw.” His new film is about West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky as exporters of both coal and electricity. Exploitation of natural resources for power generation makes the impact of the nation’s electricity consumption highly visible in these three states. The film combines present day documentary footage with old educational films and an animated folk tale to reveal the hidden costs of America’s major source of electricity. Access: Appalshop at http://www.appalshop.org/electricityfairy/
FIELD OF FLOWERS
2006 50 mins. Heartwood in the HillsJude Binder has been teaching WV children and adults about dance, music, and art for decades in Calhoun County, WV. For more than a decade a group of exceptional artists, have worked to combine song, drama, dance, animation and masks with poetry and symbolism to convey the breadth and depth of the impact of domestic violence. They have fashioned a fantastic world of timeless drama that fuses personal testimony, historical court records and artistic invention to link the phenomenon of domestic violence to the universal human struggle for freedom from violence and shame. It features the work of award winning author, dancer and visual artist Jude Binder, animator/illustrator Gideon Kendall, singer/composer David Wall, singer/songwriter Ethel Caffie-Austin, photographer, Neil Grahame, singer/storyteller Ilene Evans and international dance star Ira Bernstein. It was produced by Frank Venezia and Jude Binder. Editing by Robert Burns, with remastering at WVPBS by John Nakashima, Chuck Kleine, and David Crawford. Sound by Chuck Kleine, Robert Burns, and Joel Baird, and live action camera by John Nakashima and Chip Hitchcock. Produced with the assistance of the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Access: Heartwood in the Hills - http://heartwoodinthehills.org/
FOLKSTREAMS.NET
Tom Davenport, a Virginia-based filmmaker who directed “Hanzel and Gretel – The Appalachian Version,” made many other films based on translating Grimm fairy tales to Appalachia. He has now posted many films on Appalachia at his website. http://www.folkstreams.net/
For the Love of Theater
2006 28 mins. Real Earth Productions
Hardy County filmmaker Ray Schmitt and his Hardy County colleague Joshua Miller created this portrait of the Landmark Players in Sutton and its director Jim Walker. Several actors including Lydia Mong talk about the influence Jim Walker and participating in theater in general has had on their lives. The world premiere took place in Sutton during the 2006 West Virginia Filmmakers Film Festival. Access: Real Earth Productions at http://www.realearthproductions.com/ From Fire and Clay: East Liverpool, Ohio- The First Hundred Years2003 ## mins? This is a film about the pottery industry in East Liverpool and Chester, Ohio and its extension into West Virginia across the Ohio River. At one time it was the pottery capitol of America, founded by English potters who found a welcome home. The local clay and coal were the materials they needed. The extreme physical and mental hardships workers had to endure are presented with great historical depth. Union history is included. Counterpoising the misery, frequent floods, and fires that often burned down the kilns, examples of the exquisite products are shown. These include – whiteware, etc., etc. Ms. Shaw creates unique portraits, selling them at Gold Portraits - http://www.goldportraits.com/.Access: Sherrill Shaw, Phoenix Studios, sshaw@goldportraits.com 309 Vine Street, East Liverpool, Ohio 43920 (330) 385-2452 GOD’S GIFT OF A WILD AND WONDERFUL LAND2007 18 mins. Patchwork Films Using stunning photography and beautiful religious music, the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia is presented as a wilderness area that must be preserved for future generations. It is over 900,000 acres in size, located in 10 different counties. Facts about the forest and Biblical links are emphasized along with the appreciation of God’s creation. Viewers are encouraged to contact national and state legislators in support of protecting WV wilderness areas forever. Access – Patchwork Films at http://www.patchworkfilms.com/godsgift.htm. IN MEMORY OF THE LAND AND PEOPLE1977 (2007) 55 mins. Omni Productions Robert Gates, a former chemical/computer engineer at Union Carbide, in Charleston, WV, using his own funds, traveled throughout West Virginia, Appalachia, and the country, filming the effects of stripmining coal. The film has no narration, only the voices of people whose land and lives have been devastated by stripmining coal. The music played is Bartok. The film was shown in Congress and helped motivate national legislation regulation stripmining. It has won many awards and has been shown all over the U.S. Gates was president of the WV Filmmakers Guild for many years and received the WVIFF Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985. He has produced two films on the effects of mountaintop removal mining – “All Shaken Up” and “Mucked.” Access: You can purchase a DVD from - Omni Productions, Box 5130 Charleston, WV 25361, 304-342-2624, omni@ntelos.net. The price - $25 for personal use only, $50 for non-profit organizations, $150 for funded institutions, and $ 100 for project sponsors. Frog Creek Books also sells it.
JOHN BROWN’S BODY2007 45 mins. wvpbs
Bob Wilkinson directed and produced this film that looks at the history of John Brown in Harper’s Ferry, WV where he was tried, convicted and hung for his raid. Several African-American residents of Jefferson County have created their own history group to promote the African-American history of the county. They have published several books already and plan on publishing more, exploring the many angles one can use when studying Brown and his age. Besides exploring the meaning of John Brown, the history of Storer College, one of the first colleges established to educate African-Americas, is explored. Also the Niagara Movement which had its first meeting in the US took place at Storer College in 1915 is presented. Several of the most important historical events ever to take place in the state are given a full treatment by this film. Access: Bob Wilkinson or online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kKNv0w4SUYwhere it is called “The Cornerstore of Freedom.” THE KINGMAKER- DON BLANKENSHIP* 2005 30 mins. WVPBSPosted March 2007Reporter Anna Sale narrates this investigation of Don Blankenship, the president of Massey Energy. Blankenship told the Charleston press he considered the report to be balanced. Others think that it is not accurate because the damage he has done to the environment and workers’ health is minimized. He is famous for buying union mines, closing them, and reopening them as non-union. He is best known for financing the campaign against Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw in fall 2004, spending millions of dollars. ( This is shown in detail in Wayne Ewing’s film,” The Last Campaign.”) Appalshop footage of his early days is used, and various supporters present positive opinions about this management style and contributions to southern WV communities. Various reporters and detractors are also interviewed. The fact that he even threatened to sue WVPBS is noted. Access: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kingmaker+don+blankenshipFive parts
THE LAST FOREST: TALES OF THE ALLEGHENY WOODS
2004 180 MINS. 3 discs Pocahontas Communications CooperativeFive short stories of G.D. McNeill, a native of Pocahontas County, WV, have been adapted for radio by Michael Frasher. Larry Groce of “Mountain Stage” produced and directed with engineering by Francis Fisher, also of “Mountain Stage.” Performers – 1. The First Camp Fire – Bill Kimmons, James Thomas, Dalton Hammonds, Don Setliff with music by Dwight Diller. 2. The Mystery at Gauley Marsh – Julian Martin, Alan Griffith, Carter Zerbe, Dalton Hammonds, Eric Tate, Michael Frasher with music by Edden, Burl, Sherman and Less Hammons and Dwight Diller. 3. The Duke of Possum Ridge – Jim Costa, Ricklin Brown, Tom Rodd, Roseamry Rogers, Carter Zerbe, with music by Woody Simmons, Jim Costa, Mark Campbell and Jim Lloyd. 4. The Battle at the Whirlpool – Frank Taylor with music by Gandy Dancer, Charlie Loudermilk and Mud Hole Control. 5. The Last Campfire – Michael Frasher, Bill Kimmons, James Thomas, Ricklin Brown, Sallie Daugherty Sheridan, Dalton Hammonds with music by Gandy Dancer, Dwight Diller, Jim Costa, Mark Campbell and Jim Lloyd. Access: http://www.gauleymountain.org/order.htm or Gibbs Kinderman at AMR.Projects@STARBAND.NET. 800-297-2346
MAGIC IN THE VALLEY
2007 12.5 mins. Strom Studios Dennis Strom filmed this behind-the-scenes look at The Children’s Theater of Charleston and their popular production of “Hansel and Gretel.” Strom is a leading WV independent filmmaker and set designer, working on many films with Greg Harpold of Jaguar Educational as well as producing his own films, “Martha & Me” and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart.” Access: Dennis Strom, ARTISTROM@aol.com. MISERY IN THE BORINAGE (MISÈRE AU BORINAGE) 1933 25 mins. International Films Author’s note – Obviously this film was not made in WV or Appalachia. However, it is one of the first documentaries ever made that show the lives of coal miners and their families. Anyone interested in Appalachia should see this film and read Emile Zola’s Germinal (1885), the first novel to accurately present the lives of coal miners. (It is also a great film produced in 1993. Henry Storck, a Belgium filmmaker, and Dutch filmmaker Joris Ivens, co-directed this landmark documentary about lives in the coalmining part of Belgium called “The Borinage.” It was the same region where Vincent Van Gogh worked as a religious person before he became famous as a painter. It is a social documentary describing the fate of some 15,000 miners in the Borinage, who in 1932 staged a strike in protest against the announcement by Belgian mine-owners of a 5% cut in wages. The film is still extremely moving, showing humans treated worse than animals. The filmmakers were Communist so it ends with a bust of Karl Marx. Compare to the films of Pare Lorentz made a few years latter – The Plow that Broke the Plains and The River. Ivens was hired by Lorentz to make a film in the U.S. called Power and The Land (1940) about rural electrification. Access: WVLC 16 mm and DVD. MORRISTOWN
2007 55 Mins. Appalshop In this hour-long documentary, director Ann Lewis chronicles nearly a decade of change in Morristown, Tennessee, through interviews with displaced or low-wage Southern workers, Mexican immigrants, and workers and families impacted by globalization. The film shows how working-class people in Mexico and eastern Tennessee are caught in the throes of massive economic change, challenging their assumptions about work, family, nation and community. “Morristown” is in Spanish and English with subtitles. Access: Appalshop at http://appalshop.org/store2/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=100Mountaintop Removal
2006 57 min. Haw River Films
This film explores the issue of mountaintop removal mining through the actions of citizen activists, coal industry officials and Big Coal author Jeff Goodell. Starting with Mountain Justice Summer activists and Coal River valley residents Ed Wiley, Maria Gunnoe, and Larry Gibson the film chronicles the anti mountaintop removal movement from the Spring of 2005 to September of 2006. Mingo county resident Carmilita Brown’s twenty year battle for clean water is also explored in the film. Soundtrack by Donna the Buffalo, Julie Miller, John Specker and Sarah Hawkes. Access: Haw River Films. http://www.hawriverfilms.com/index.html.
Moving Mountains
2006 30 mins. Virginia Bendl Moore
Virginia Bendl Moore was a communications student at the University of Virginia when she created this new documentary on the effects of mountaintop removal mining, mainly in southern West Virginia. Funding to produce it came from UVA media grants and was made at the Digital Media Lab on campus.She uses several classic film clips including ones from “Harlan County, USA” and “That High Lonesome Sound.” They counterpoise the scenes of destruction and denial that take place on camera. The film opens with WV politicians including Earl Ray Tomlin and Senator Rockefeller talking about the importance of coal to the state. Gov. Manchin’s speech about “West Virginia – Open for Business” along with his statements about “moving WV to the forefront of the coal industry” are also shown. President of the WV Coal Association Bill Raney is interviewed, talking about the coal industry being “the real environmentalists,” echoing what Warren Hylton, president of Patents Coal, says. There is nothing in the film about the many coal mine deaths that took place last year.The “usual suspects” are interviewed on the anti-MTR side – Larry
Gibson, Ed Wiley, and Maria Gunnoe. Also interviewed is Lenny Kohn from
Appalachian Voices and Sam Cook, Appalachian studies prof at Virginia Tech,
Kenny from Logan County about the bad water, and others.
Access: E-mail filmmaker at movingmountains@virginia.edu Mucked: man made disasters - flash floods in the coalfields 2002 (2007 DVD) 52 mins. Omni Productions
July 8, 2001. A severe rainstorm caused massive flash flooding in southern West Virginia communities. Entire communities were swept away. It was the first of six floods documented in this film that resulted from mountaintop removal mining and steep slope timbering. This film shows how devastating contemporary mining and lumbering are on the lives of average people in Appalachia. This film is by Robert Gates, one of Appalachia’s leading independent filmmakers. In 1977 he released his first film, “In Memory of the Land and People,” considered to be the best film ever made about stripmining coal. (see description above) For 30 years he has kept his independence, making films that portray the land and the people of Appalachia. Access: Omni Productions. Box 5130, Charleston, WV 25361 304-342-2624. omni@ntelos.net. Or Frog Creek Books. MUSIC OF HEAVEN – OLD TIME MUSIC FROM THE COAL RIVER COUNTY2006 60 mins. Augusta Heritage CenterThis film by 2006 WV Filmmaker of the Year Gerry Milnes is about the extraordinary talents of William Sherman “Junior” Holstein. His nephew and apprentice, Gary Wayne Jordan, introduces us to Junior who plays some rare and beautiful old-time fiddle tunes. He sings several old songs, words to fiddle tunes, and one original song to his own musical accompaniment. Junior visits with other traditional musicians in the area, describes old-time methods of making moonshine, and leads us through some of his own trials and tribulations as he battles personal demons. The title tune, “Music of Heaven,” a soulful instrumental, aptly relates to Junior’s fixation on his prospects for the afterlife. Access: Augusta Heritage at http://www.augustaheritage.com/store.html
NATIONAL MEMORIAL FOR THE MOUNTAINS*
2006 2.51 mins. I Love Mountains Introductory video for the National Memorial for the Mountains, an online memorial in Google Earth that tells the story of 450 mountains destroyed by mountaintop removal.
This video is part of the National Memorial for the Mountains, hosted by www.ilovemountains.org. Access: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpSDY6r2BVc Or http://www.ilovemountains.org./multimedia/#video. Note – there are 71 other videos on mountaintop removal mining posted at YouTube as of 3.28.07.There are also other videos on Appalachia and MTR posted at www.ilovemountains.org. NATIONAL ROAD IN WEST VIRGINIA2006 30 mins. Walkabout Company The first interstate road went through northern Virginia, now West Virginia. This filmtakes the viewer on a sightseeing tour, revealing some of the landmarks that make the road still famous after more than a century. Access To Order a DVD copy for $18.95 plus S&H call: 1-877-242-8133 (Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum) or
1-304-232-1810 Wheeling Artisan Center or visit Tamarack where it will begin sales in April.
PARE LORENTZ’ THE PLOW THAT BROKE THE PLAINS and THE RIVER
2007 (1936 AND 1937) 112 mins. Naxos Pare Lorentz was born in Clarksburg, WV and raised in Buckhannon. He produced two of the first films about saving the environment for the FDR Administration. The International Documentary Association gave him their first lifetime achievement award and created the Pare Lorentz Award. The National Endowment for the Arts, The American Film Institute, Virgil Thomson Foundation, and The MARPAT Foundation supported a new recording of Thomson’s music written for these two landmark films. The Post-Classical Ensemble plays Thomson’s music with a new narration of the films by Floyd King. The DVD includes interviews with George Stoney, documentary film professor at NYU and Charles Fussell on Thomson. The film version of “The Plow” also includes the original beginning and ending. Thomson won the only Pulitzer Prize ever given for music in a film – Robert Flaherty’s “Louisiana Story.” Access: Naxos.com, Amazon.com PEOPLE OF THE CUMBERLAND1938 21 mins. M.O.M.A.
Frontier films was the first group of “social documentary” filmmakers in the world. This film about Miles Horton and his Highlander Folk School was created by such well known artists as Erskind Caldwell and Elia Kazan. The poor Cumberland mountaineers of southern Tennessee are the heroes. Access: WVLC DVD and 16 MM versions The Rhythm of My Soul: Kentucky Roots Music 2006 55 mins. Florentine Films/Sherman Pictures Featuring some true national treasures from Appalachian Kentucky, playing and demonstrating including: 77 year old Mountain banjo picker Lee Sexton, 80 year old fiddle maker Buddy Ratcliff who played with Merle Travis, The Tri-City Messengers, a Gospel group made up of retired black coal miners, The Carriere Family with 10 and 12 year old fiddle players Josh and Stacie, Rob McNurlin and The Beatnik Cowboys, Bottomline, fiddler John Harrod, mandolin picker Don Rigsby, fiddler Jesse Wells, dulcimer maker Warren May, and others. Directed by Roger Sherman. Produced for Southern & Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association.Access: http://www.florentinefilms.com/sherman/videos.html.
Saving Shiloh2006 90 mins. This is the third feature film based on a series of books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylorwhose husband grew up in WV. It is about a twelve year old boy in Friendly, WV who has a beagle. Like the famous “Lassie” films and TV series, the boy learns about life and shares his experiences with his dog Shiloh. He befriends a cantankerous old man known for many things including beating dogs. Website - http://shilohfilm.com/ Access: Amazon and other retailers. Senator Byrd Playing Fiddle 1987 8.30 mins. WV State Archives U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd was filmed playing the fiddle in his Senatorial office in about 1987 for an unfinished documentary by Bill Drennen which had the tentative title “Journey from Wolf Creek: The Life of Robert C. Byrd”, parts of which were incorporated into the later documentary “Soul of the Senate”. In this session U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd is shown playing fiddle, accompanied by Joe Mullins who plays guitar. The songs played are “Country Roads” and “West Virginia Hills”. Senator Byrd also plays an unidentified piece without accompaniment. Also included is a television news report of his appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, about 1978. The length of this DVD is 8:30, repeating several times. Played in the Great Hall of The Cultural Center in fall/winter 2006/7. Access: WVLC. SEPTEMBER 2 DISMEMBER2006 90 mins. Apex
Kanawha Valley wrestling at its finest. The headline battle is between “The Grapes of Wrath” consisting of Professor Danger (WVSU film prof Daniel Boyd) and Death Falcon Zero vs. Mr. Black and the Scufflin’ Hillbilly. Other matches include Team G.A.Y. vs. Pleasure and Pain, The Cuban Assassin vs. Kamikaze Kid, Jesse Ortega vs. T.J Mack and more. Access: http://www.awastars.com/shop.htm SIX MONTHS2007 83 mins. Real Earth Productions Judy and Ray Schmitt have been making films since 1975, creating more than 30 films. Many of their films have been profiles of WV’s leading artists including Abby Wathen, an actress and model from Huntington now living in Los Angeles; Ai Qiu Hopen, a bronze sculptor who lives in Sutton and Shanghai, China; actor/director Jim Walker of Sutton’s Landmark Studio; Lucien “Lulu” Ferrenbach, a French born ornamental iron sculptor now living in Lost River, WV; The Tusing Sisters of Hardy County, famous for their weaving and spinning; Robert Singleton, a world-famous painter now living in the Eastern panhandle; Jim Clark of War, McDowell County who is a leading landscape photographer; Artist Tom Pumroy from Paw Paw who is a multi-talented artist; and national artists Adriana Miller, a Middle Eastern dancer who was well-known in Washington, D.C. and Rita Dove, seventh Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. After making biographical films of these and other people, they finally turn the camera on themselves. The result is a self-portrait of their lives 360 degrees. The title comes from a visit with a Johns Hopkins cardiologist concerning Ray’s Marfan Syndrome. The MD explains the threats posed to his health by an expanding aorta. In six months he will need more tests to determine if he needs major surgery or not – surgery that may alter his personality. Recently his oldest son almost died from the same condition, surviving because of a medical helicopter ride from Winchester, Va. to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Another son with severe mental problems has finally found relief at a local program that has turned his life around. For 87 minutes, from minute to minute, viewers ride the roller coaster of their lives as they travel to Sutton, WV to show their new films, drive to Nashville while making a film about a recently deceased friend who was a Nashville legendary musician, visit college fraternity brothers at a reunion in Myrtle Beach, SC and friends at the Schmitt’s annual Octoberfest in Mathias, asking them about their own health issues and encounters with death. Other films that will come to mind include Ross McElwee’s films such as “Sherman’s March” and Woody Allen’s “Love and Death.” WV filmmakers interviewed include Jesse Johnson and Kevin Carpenter as well film critic/exhibitor Steve Fesenmaier. Ray was named 2004 West Virginia Filmmaker of the Year. Many of his films have won awards at The WV Filmmakers Film Festival in Sutton including a recent film “For the Love of Theater” that was given the “People’s Choice Award.” Both Judy and Ray were chosen to be “West Virginia History Heroes” in 2006. They have been active for years promoting local history and culture, serving on the board of the Lost River Museum. Ray is a native of Long Island, NY and Judy comes from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Access – Real Earth Productions at http://www.realearthproductions.com/. UP THE RIDGE55 mins. 2007 Appalshop
In 1999 Szuberla and Kirby were volunteer DJ’s for the Appalachian region’s only hip-hop radio program in Whitesburg, KY when they received hundreds of letters from inmates transferred into nearby Wallens Ridge, the region’s newest prison built to prop up the shrinking coal economy. The letters described human rights violations and racial tension between staff and inmates. Filming began that year and, though the lens of Wallens Ridge State Prison, the program offers viewers an in-depth look at the United States prison industry and the social impact of moving hundreds of thousands of inner-city minority offenders to distant rural outposts. The film explores competing political agendas that align government policy with human rights violations, and political expediencies that bring communities into racial and cultural conflict with tragic consequences. Connections exist, in both practice and ideology, between human rights violations in Abu Ghraib and physical and sexual abuse recorded in American prisons. Access: Appalshop at http://www.appalshop.org/h2h/film/ WANDA2006 (1970) 102 mins. Barbara Loden, married to great Hollywood director Elia Kazan, was best known for starring in a small role in “Splendor in the Grass,” wrote and directed one of the first indie features made by a woman. The film ran briefly in NYC and disappeared. Filmed on location in the coal fields of Pennsylvania in Carbondale and Scranton, it tells the story of a woman who has lost herself, abandoning her husband and children. A perfect film to watch along with Ashley Judd’s first, and best film, “Ruby in Paradise.” Access: Amazon, etc. We Are Marshall
2006 mins. Warner Bros.Based on the true story of the worst sports disaster in American history. Matthew McConaughey stars as Jack Lengyel, the coach who led Marshall University and the Huntington community from tragedy to triumph. Matthew Fox (”ABC TV “Lost”) played assistant coach Red Dawson who helps Lengyel rebuild the team after giving up his seat on the doomed flight to another member of the Marshall squad. David Strathairn (“Matewan”, Oscar nomination for “Good Night and Good Luck”) plays the president of Marshall University who attempts to restore the school’s broken spirit against overwhelming odds. The film also co-stars Anthony Mackie (”Million Dollar Baby”) as passionate team captain Nate Ruffin and Kate Mara (”Brokeback Mountain”) as Marshall’s head cheerleader Annie Cantrell. Filmed on location in Huntington and Atlanta. Access: Amazon
WEST VIRGINIA library commission – library television*
Audio/Video Files from Library Television Network Programming
For the last 30 years WVLC’s Library Television Network has produced hundreds of programs FOR and ABOUT
West Virginians. Currently there are many programs available to watch as streaming video INSIDE THE LOCAL PUBLIC LIBRARYs. However, plans are to expand access to the public this year. 30 different series are available on the server including “Art Works” hosted by the Division of Culture and History, “Life Challenges,” a conversation withDr. David Clayman, “WV Author” with host Gordon Simmons, “History Alive” that includes 21 historical re-enactments including Rick Wilson as Eugene Debs and Karen Vuranch as Mother Jones; and many others. Currently the network posts over 20 new shows per month. Many of the programs are shown on 8 different cable systems around the state to over 560,000 viewers.
Access: http://10.99.1.242:81/default.html To contact staff members - http://librarycommission.lib.wv.us/about/staff.html
WEST VIRGINIA STATE ARCHIVES*
Audio/Video Files from the West Virginia State Archives Edited and Prepared For Internet Use by Allen E. Fowler.
More than 50 historic events including the burning of the state capitol in 1921, dedication of the WV Turnpike, and dedication of the New River Gorge Bridge. Famous people shown include several WV governors, Don Knotts, Pearl Buck, Walter Reuther, Mary Lou Retton and others. There is also a collection of footage of scholars talking about the importance of the WV State Archives including labor historian Dr. Fred Barkey, filmmakers Terry Lively and Russ Barbour, and others. New titles added regularly. Access: http://www.wvculture.org/history/av.html
WHEN MINERS MARCH 2006 7 discs Mountain Whispers.comWilliam C. Blizzard, the son of Bill Blizzard, the “general” of the Battle of Blair Mountain, with the assistance of Wess Harris, compiled his many accounts of the West Virginia Mine Wars in his book, “When Miners March.” He had written most of the book for various labor publications anonymously in the 1950s. In 2005 Ross Ballard took the book and turned it into a monumental “audio movie,” complete with sound effects and original music. Songs on the special CD are by T. Paige Dalporto, Elaine Purkey, Hazel Dickens, Mike Morningstar, John Lilly and the Irish duo of Enda Cullen and Ian Smith. Access: http://www.mountainwhispers.com/MWGiftShop.htm.Young Widow, The1946 100 min.
Clarissa Fairchild Cushman, a best-selling mystery writer of the 1930s and 1940s, wrote a book called “Young Widow” while living in Rosebrake, the home built by Danske Dandridge in Shepherdstown, WV. The film starred Jane Russell. Most Americans first saw Russell in this film because of problems with censors for her actual first film, “The Outlaw” (1943) produced by Howard Hughes. The film was never shown in Shepherdstown because people felt that the film presented Dandridge’s oldest daughter in a negative light. Coal safety expert Davitt McAteer and his wife Catherine presently live in Rosebrake. Access: Ebay had a copy for sale. It is not in official distribution.
_____________________________________________________________________ Media Marketing – Fifteen library-tested programs and policies to increase circulation of AV materials from Library Journal, By: Mazmanian, Adam, Library Journal, 03630277, 5/15/2003 Supplement, Vol. 128, Issue 9.
#2. Feature Local Artists Not all filmmakers live in Hollywood. Last November, for instance, the Kanawha County Public Library, Charleston, featured a program of seven West Virginia filmmakers and their works, with free screenings held at branches across the system. Steve Fesenmaier, film programmer for the West Virginia Library Commission, has founded two film festivals to promote local filmmakers. He also presents workshops on local and regional filmmakers at state library conferences and works to partner individual filmmakers with libraries to produce their own local history documentaries. If your state as a film commission, you might contact them to build the same sort of relationship. General Websites: Steve’s AppLit website listing hundreds of films on WV/Appalachia –http://www.wvla.org/springfling/index.html Steve’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.html West Virginia Filmmakers Film Festival –http://www.landmarkstudio.org/wvfff/index.html West Virginia Film Series at The South Charleston Museum – http://www.geocities.com/scmuseum/WV_Film_Series.html WV Film Office –http://www.wvtourism.com/spec.aspx?pgid=22
* Web-based films and audios.
