Participation Type
Film
Presentation #1 Title
Blood On The Mountain
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Blood on the Mountain is a searing investigation into the economic and environmental injustices that have resulted from industrial control in West Virginia. This new feature documentary details the struggles of a hard-working, misunderstood people, who have historically faced limited choices and have never benefited fairly from the rich, natural resources of their land. Blood On The Mountain delivers a striking portrait of a fractured population, exploited and besieged by corporate interests, and abandoned by the powers elected to represent them. West Virginia is facing catastrophic economic, environmental, and social devastation. Up to 90% of its rich natural resources are owned by large corporate interests. Today, as coal companies teeter on the verge of bankruptcy and the United Mine Workers of America struggle to hold onto relevance, there is fear for the future. What will happen to the coal industry workers? What will happen to the communities they call home, enduring the environmental and social legacy of a brutal and toxic industry? At a time nationally when workers' rights and pensions are under attack, and permanent environmental consequences are allowed for short-term monetary gain, the people of the coalfields share their history in the hopes that it will avert similar catastrophe in other places and industries. By understanding how a proud people and a beautiful place can be exploited, we all may learn lessons that can inform how we move forward as a country, based on principles we espouse but do not always honor.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Mari-Lynn Evans is the Director and Producer of Blood On The Mountain. Additionally, she was Executive Producer of the documentary films The Appalachians and Coal Country.
Blood On The Mountain
Blood on the Mountain is a searing investigation into the economic and environmental injustices that have resulted from industrial control in West Virginia. This new feature documentary details the struggles of a hard-working, misunderstood people, who have historically faced limited choices and have never benefited fairly from the rich, natural resources of their land. Blood On The Mountain delivers a striking portrait of a fractured population, exploited and besieged by corporate interests, and abandoned by the powers elected to represent them. West Virginia is facing catastrophic economic, environmental, and social devastation. Up to 90% of its rich natural resources are owned by large corporate interests. Today, as coal companies teeter on the verge of bankruptcy and the United Mine Workers of America struggle to hold onto relevance, there is fear for the future. What will happen to the coal industry workers? What will happen to the communities they call home, enduring the environmental and social legacy of a brutal and toxic industry? At a time nationally when workers' rights and pensions are under attack, and permanent environmental consequences are allowed for short-term monetary gain, the people of the coalfields share their history in the hopes that it will avert similar catastrophe in other places and industries. By understanding how a proud people and a beautiful place can be exploited, we all may learn lessons that can inform how we move forward as a country, based on principles we espouse but do not always honor.
