Mari-Lynn Evans, executive producer of the film Coal Country, knows first-hand the dangers coal miners face and the sacrifices they make. She grew up in Bulltown, W.Va., and has a brother who still works in the mines. Evans and producer/director Phylis Geller spent four years on Coal Country, which screens Thursday night at The Belcourt, and reaction to their documentary was already animated on both sides before the horrific April 5 accident at the Upper Branch Coal mine that left 25 people dead.
"It's been an incredible piece of work and it's also taken quite a toll," Evans says. "We've had premieres cancelled and our lives threatened. We've had to have police show up in riot gear to ensure the safety of people who want to see it. It took us four years to complete it, and two of those four years were spent trying to find someone from the coal companies who was willing to speak on the record about the film.
"We wanted to make a balanced presentation, even though we had a point of view, and we wanted to show people exactly what's involved in the process of mountaintop removal (MTR) — what it does to the land and the price that people pay for it. In the process, we found out how much power and clout the coal companies enjoy."
The process of mountaintop removal involves companies blasting the tops off mountains, then gathering the coal displaced by the explosion. While it certainly provides ample amounts of coal, MTR also puts debris into streams and valleys, in addition to the enormous sonic punch the explosions cause. (Some claim it also contributed to the severity of the recent flooding that ravaged the state.) Both the efficiency and safety of MTR, as well as the practices of the companies utilizing it, are scrutinized in Coal Country.
Coal Country, which will be shown Thursday night as part of a free Natural Resources Defense Council program, incorporates the perspectives of families, miners, environmental activists and management representatives — most notably Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy, and Randall Maggard, manager of a coal company. Their dismissive comments about "tree huggers" and unions are countered by the responses of Kathy Selvage, daughter of a coal miner and decades-long member of the UMWA, retired miner Chuck Nelson and attorney Joe Lovett, the only lawyer in West Virginia whose full-time practice is based on environmental and MTR cases.
"The amazing thing we discovered is in many instances the miners and the activists share equal passion and concern for the land," Evans says. "It's the coal companies that aren't even based in the area whose major priority is profit. They're the ones coming in and getting control of these areas using eminent domain, then causing all the damage to the environment, the air and the water. The miners see it as an issue of jobs and survival, while the activists want to preserve the environment and maintain the land. Meanwhile, families are losing more and more of the land as these companies keep taking over."
Award-winning singer-songwriter Kathy Mattea, who also grew up in mining territory and previously issued the album Coal in tribute to that past, is among those featured in Coal Country. She finds the film moving and accurate.
"I really think this is one of the most important issues facing our nation, and this film is very well done, a big effort and one that really tells the story effectively," Mattea says. "There's not a large group of people with big money behind the people in these communities, nor do the Appalachian mountains have that type of big money interests behind them.
"This film shows the real struggles that these families face, and how divisive the question of mountaintop removal has become, as well as the real struggles of coal miners."
Mattea added that her involvement with Coal Country has triggered renewed interest in her roots, and will be reflected in an upcoming project she's now getting material together to record. As for executive producer Evans, she hopes people will consider the hidden costs of mining and mountaintop removal whenever they flick on their lights at home.
"We understand that these are tough, complex issues, that there are people whose livelihoods depend on this and that not everyone agrees about the best way to resolve them," Evans says. "But I feel that Coal Country really shows the human factor and costs that are involved, and that's something that I hope everyone, from the government to the regular person who sees the film, will carefully consider."
Evans, Geller, Mattea and special guest Big Kenny Alphin will attend Thursday night's Belcourt screening of Coal Country and the accompanying film Deep Down. A companion CD, which includes selections from Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Jason and the Scorchers and Mattea, among others, as well as a book and DVD, are all available at various retail stores, plus the website www.coalcountrythemovie.com. In addition, the film screens periodically as part of the Reel Impact series on Discovery's Planet Green Channel.
Email arts@nashvillescene.com.
