Mountain People - a lost film made in Mingo County
Cinda Firestone, famous for a recently restored feature documentary called “Attica” came to Dingess, Mingo County in 1978 to make a film about the “Mountain People.” She ended up making a thoughtful documentary mainly about the elderly women who spent their lives growing their own food, making their own clothes, and living their own lives. They have the nobility of the Amish and everyone who has escaped the “Mall of America Culture” that has ruined much of our world.
I kept thinking of recent events concerning food, toys, and everything else that comes from China. The NY Times has recently published an article about how many leftwingers are now looking at labels for “made in America.” Everywhere the media is talking about “eating local.” Other people are organizing to save themselves from nursing homes. I think that this little film shows where hopefully we are all headed - back to the land, back to independence.
Thanks to Todd Gambill, who worked on the 2004 film on the WV Turnpike, “The Road to Opportunity,” I got to see this film. He told me that he had a DVD of an old film that was about his wife’s family. I asked him if he had seen Rory Kennedy’s distressing film, “American Hollow.” I showed him Ken and Melanie Light’s book, “Coal Hollow” which he loved. We talked about the stereotypes about WV and Appalachia.
One of my favorite parts of this film shows many of the quilts one lady has made recently. She brags about having made over 1,000 quilts, “69 once in just seven months.” The grandmother amazingly knows how to make use of every single plant in her garden, showing a truly super-human awareness of our world. Cable shows like “Survivorman” are based on a man with similar knowledge. ( How about a cable series on super woman like her around the country and world, showing true super heroes in action?)
I also greatly liked seeing John Sturgill taking us on a tour of his clan’s cemetary. It reminded me of seeing anti-MTR activist Larry Gibson trying to do the same on Kayford Mountain.
This film, and many others made during the last 40 years, show the “land and the people.” Hopefully they will help Americans realize that they have to stop waging war against themselves - and everyone else, in Iraq, Afghanistan, everywhere.
Here is Todd’s review of the film -
“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 were 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. - Wm. T. Gambill
“Mountain People”Produced & Directed by Cinda FirestoneCameras-Andrew AaronEdited by Cinda Firestone & Melissa PowellAudio - Townsend Production ServicesInterviewers - Cinda Firestone, Terence Beirne, Tucker Ashworth & Eric Ashworth The Families Interviewed are;The ThomasesThe SturgillsThe PaynesLula McCloudSam Marcus Segments were shown of the Freewill Baptist Church Singing Convention.
Short bio of William T. Gambill -
William T. Gambill is an accomplished artist and musician with specialties in commercial art and videography. He currently directs the West Virginia Department of Transportation’s longest running monthly television show, WV on the DOT. He has also produced film projects such as “The Road to
Opportunity,” a documentary on the history, development and completion of the West Virginia Turnpike whose release coincided with the 50th anniversary of the completion of The West Virginia Turnpike. A graphic designer by trade, Gambill has found himself thrust into the field of television and film. In-house training videos as well as informational videos are a part of his everyday life and he has been consulted on a number of outside video projects. Gambill is a member of Washington Lodge #58 in
St. Albans where he resides with his wife of 13 years and two sons who all help with many of his video projects. He believes that the giving of one’s self is the true path to enlightenment. He recently took an active role in the Beni Kedem Shrine, joined the Highlander Pipe Band and marches for the Shriners’ Children’s’ Hospital. “It’s a chance to have fun and do good work!” Other interests include hiking, biking, camping and golf. He also coaches the Saint Albans Red Dragons U10 Soccer Team. Currently in the research phase, he hopes to start work on a new documentary boasting the rich the history of
Saint Albans, West Virginia.
