I just realized I totally forgot to post yesterday. I have got to figure out how to schedule these things so they post automatically. That would also mean that I would have to be prepared ahead of time and have completed reviews drafted and ready to go. I used to do that, when I didn't have school. Maybe soon we can go back to normal.
This was another depressing-ass documentary for extra credit in my Art class. We were studying Supreme Court cases that related to anti-union legislation and First Amendment rights so this came up.
Harlan County, Kentucky, coal miners went on strike after rejecting a contract submitted by the mining company. The strike lasted over a year and was discussed all the way in Wall Street, where protesters tried to influence the company's shareholders. The United Mine Workers union took up their cause but had its own internal shit to deal with, like a guy who straight up murdered his opponent in the election. Meanwhile, in Kentucky, the striking miners are harassed, shot at, and strongarmed by the mining company scabs, local heavies, and local law enforcement. The filmmakers themselves were almost shot by one of the scabs and got the experience on film, which provides the most harrowing moments of the documentary.
Unless you're really interested in the history of mining, unions, or the First Amendment, you'll probably want to skip this. It's a really good documentary, though, and if you can find it I think you should give it a chance.
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