New PBS series coming about Appalachia - A history of Mountains and People
Ross Spears, a well-known documentary filmmaker, and c0-creator Jamie Ross will be releasing a new series on Appalachia - “Appalachia - A History of Mountains and People,” narrated by Sissy Spacek. The world premiere of the series will be September 27th at the University of Tennesse. Spears visited The West Virginia Library Commission, Library Development, years ago when he was starting his research for this project. He talked to some of the consultants about what he should include in his film series.
As director of Film Services, WVLC I purchased almost all of his great films -”Agee,” his first film, and the only biographical documentary ever nominated for an Oscar, “To Render a Life, “ , “The Electric Valley” and others. I programmed the world premiere of his film about the Civil War, “Long Shadows,”for the WV Intl. Film Festival which screened it at the WVSU Capitol Plaza Theater.
He was located for many years in Johnson City, Tenn, now relocated to ex-urban Washington, DC.
I am looking forward to seeing this series. One part was shown at last year’s American Conservation Film Festival in Shepherdstown.
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From Rudy Abramson and Jean HaskellCo-Editors of The Encyclopedia of
Appalachia:Having seen every minute of the four-part series, APPALACHIA: AHistory of Mountains and People, we feel they are wonderful. Thefilmmakers, Ross Spears and Jamie Ross, have done something whichwe frankly doubted could be done. They have broken the mold andproduced an entirely new kind of film about a subject that has engagedgreat talents for many years. How wise they were to have decided atthe outset to make the mountains themselves the star.
Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People and our
Encyclopedia of Appalachia sprang from the same impulses — adesire to tell the story of
Appalachia without the stereotypes and oversimplificationsthat have dogged the region in the mass media sincethe 19th century. For nearly ten years, we worked in the samevineyard, and so we feel comfortable saying that Spears and Ross haveproduced a series of films that not only warms the heart, but exudesauthority, credibility, and powerful insight. And it challenges ourgeneration to take better care of these mountains.The filmmakers have found and shown us the right people, the rightevents, and the right issues. The stunning cinematography is whatviewers of Agee Films productions have come to expect. The script ismasterful in its flowing and seamless integration of science, naturalhistory, and culture. In people such as Edward Wilson, Ron Eller,Denise Giardina, Barbara Kingsolver and Judy Bonds they have toldthe story in the voices of
Appalachians whose very lives are testamentto the talent, commitment, and diversity of the people of the
Appalachians. A truly great piece of work!
