Harlan County U.S.A.
4
(64)
Documentary
1977
103 min
PG
This film documents the coal miners' strike against the Brookside Mine of the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky in June, 1973. Eastovers refusal to sign a contract (when the miners joined with the United Mine Workers of America) led to the strike, which lasted more than a year and included violent battles between gun-toting company thugs/scabs and the picketing miners and their supportive women-folk. Director Barbara Kopple puts the strike into perspective by giving us some background on the historical plight of the miners and some history of the UMWA. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with New York Women in Film & Television in 2004.
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"Harlan County is a documentary regarding the mistreatment of Coal Miners. Almost all the footage is entirely shot on scene, allowing the audience to connect with it on a deeper level.
One scene that has always stuck with me is when a cop is talking to one of the protesters, and says how he’s shocked that coal miners make so little compared to him when they’re both putting their lives on the line. Which is true—coal miners are at higher risk of lung disease—and since they’re likely to die, why are they paid such little wages?"
Madison
