150m; U.S.
Synopsis: California labor history
http://www.cft.org/member-services/labor-education/golden-lands,-working-hands.html
Contact: Golden Lands, Working Hands, CFT, One Kaiser Plaza, Suite 1440, Oakland, CA 94612, 510/832-8812, or email . Visit the Golden Lands, Working Hands page in the CFT website, http://www.cft.org.
Fred Glass, Communications Director California Federation of Teachers One Kaiser Plaza, Suite 1440 Oakland, CA 94612 510/832-882 fax 510/832-5044
http://www.cft.org
96m; U.S.
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Cast: Warren William, Joan Blondell and Aline MacMahon
Synopsis (IMDB): Millionaire turned composer Dick Powell rescues unemployed Broadway people with a new play.
120m; U.S.
Director: David Moore Huntley
Cast: Billy Ray Cyrus
Synopsis: Generally, it brings America’s mythic and misunderstood southern mountain people to life and reveal their pivotal but unsung role in forming the nation and forging the American character. It discusses 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.
Contact: The History Channel store. http://shop.history.com/detail.php?a=115530 http://www.moorehuntley.com/CONTACT.html
103m; U.S.
Director: Barbara Kopple
Cast: Norman Yarborough (Himself – Eastover Mining President); Houston Elmore (Himself – UMW organizer); Phil Spark (Himself – UMW staff); John Corcoran (Himself – Consolidated Coal President); John O’Leary (Himself – former Bureau of Mines director); Dr. Donald Rasmussen (Himself – Blackwing Clinic, WV); Dr. Hawley Wells Jr. (Himself); Tom Williams (Himself – Boyle campaigner); Chip Yablonski (Himself); Ken Yablonski (Himself); Logan Patterson (Himself – negotiator); Harry Patrick (Himself – UMW secretary-treasurer); Mike Trbovich (Himself – UMW VP); Bernie Aronson (Himself – UMW staff); Guy Farmer Himself (BCPA General Counsel)
http://www.cabincreekfilms.com/films_harlancounty.html
Synopsis: Harlan County, USA is a 1976 documentary film covering the efforts of 180 coal miners on strike against the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky in 1973. It was directed by Barbara Kopple, who has long been an advocate of workers’ rights. Harlan County, U.S.A. Coal miners. The film won the 1976 Oscar for Best Documentary. Kopple and her crew spent three years filming within the mining community and 180 families’ bitter struggle to win a contract. Facing dangerous and violent anti-union gun thugs and the brutal murder of one of their own, the striking miners fearlessly face the picket line day in and day out in the hopes of securing a fare wage and a better way of life for their families. The film is a tribute to the working families of America, particularly the women of Harlan County who actively organized and spearheaded efforts to keep the struggle alive.
104m; U.S.
Director: Tony Bill
Cast: Holly Hunter, Stellan Skarsgård and Ted Levine
Synopsis (IMDB): A Kentucky woman whose mine-worker husband is nearly killed in a cave-in, and whose father is slowly dying of black lung disease, joins the picket lines for a long, violent strike.
56m; U.S.
Director: Mimi Pickering
Synopsis: Documentary on folksinger Hazel Dickens. Profiles a “modern” woman dealing with contemporary issues from a feminist perspective which has evolved from her own experiences, being Appalachian, displaced physically and culturally, poor and working class, a woman artist in a man’s world, and a bearer of tradition. Includes a number of complete song performances of feminist ballads and union rousers. Interweaves threads of feminism, folksinging and union organizing, though the focus is definitely more on the first two.
Contact: Pacific Film Archive Laura Deutch Outreach Coordinator Pacific Film Archive 2625 Durant Avenue Berkeley, CA 94720-2250 510/642-6883 http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/pfa
58m; U.S.
Director: Harry L. Fraser
Cast: Russell Gleason, Maxine Doyle and LeRoy Mason
Synopsis (IMDB): Jim Cole, heir to a mining operation, takes over the mine, which is suffering from unexplained low production, and is facing a strike by the miners. Jim will soon loose the mine if production doesn’t increase and the sabotage continues. Mary Norsen, office-secretary, accidentally learns of a plot by Fred Johnson to wreck the mine and force Cole to sell his coal-mine. She and her brother, Joe, join Cole in his fight to stop Johnson
166m; France
Director: Claude Berri
Cast: Renaud, Gérard Depardieu and Miou-Miou
Synopsis: Gerard Depardieu plays the role of Toussaint Maheu from the film version of Emile Zola’s landmark book by the same name. He attempts to organize the coal miners to resist exploitation by the owners. The novel was one of the first to properly, using the finest art and understanding, to show the lives of working men and women. The film version was not shown widely, perhaps due to its theme and its length. John Sayles film “Matewan” is not based on this novel/film, but has many similarities. There were earlier versions including a British mini-series in 1970, and films in 1963, and 1913.
89m; U.S.
Director: David Novack
Synopsis: This new film from American Coal Productions 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 and examines the explosive conflict between the coal industry and residents of West Virginia.
Contact: burningthefuture@yahoo.com For Worldwide Sales for broadcast, theatrical, DVD and digital rights, please contact: Doug Zwick Specialty Studios Entertainment doug@specialtystudios.com Tel/Fax: +1.818.990.8461
Synopsis: “a tribute to working class people/culture and focuses on the lives of five generation miners and their families who have lived and worked in Butte over the past 125 years”
Contact: Pamela Roberts; Producer, Rattlesnake Productions, Inc. pam.rattlesnake@gmail.com 1615 Hillside Lane Bozeman, MT 59715 Cell: 406-579-0304
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