For over 200 years, the coal buried beneath the Appalachian Mountains has ruled as king. Through a deep exploration of the coal industry’s past and future, filmmaker Elaine Sheldon dives deep into the communities shaped by the coal industry and the myths it has created. Emerging from the long shadows of the coal mines, pain and beauty are untangled, illuminating the innately human capacity for change. This artfully ambivalent film sets the weighty pull of coal’s kingly past against the region’s hopes for a freer, more sustainable future.
This screening is part of the 29th annual Cucalorus Film Festival, happening Nov. 15-19, 2023 in downtown Wilmington. Tickets for individual screenings are $15.