Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)

This film is also showing at our sister cinema, Lido Cinemas

Australian Premiere - 4K Restoration

‘Kopple’s is an obviously involved camera …  a camera that reflects her own commitment to the people, their suffering, and their struggle. Because she experiences the struggle as if it were her own, she enables us to experience it in an unusually direct and moving way.’ – E. Ann Kaplan, Jump Cut

‘Exemplifies a kind of nonfiction filmmaking – unabashedly partisan yet patient and perceptive, years in the making, and expertly assembled – that I fear grows ever rarer.’ – Melissa Anderson, The Village Voice

Barbara Kopple was just 26 when she relocated to rural Kentucky to document the gruelling 13-month Brookside coalminers’ strike. With complete access to the embattled community, Kopple and her crew sensitively captured the violent struggle from the perspective of the miners and their families. The result is a heartbreaking testament to the dedication and bravery of the men and women on the picket lines and an astonishing feat of documentary filmmaking.

Combining cinéma-vérité techniques with archival footage and a haunting country-and-bluegrass soundtrack, Harlan County U.S.A. is rightfully considered among the greatest American films of the 1970s.

Introduced by Pat Fiske at Ritz Cinemas and Dylan Rowen at Lido Cinemas.

Rating

PG

Duration

103 min

Language

English

Director

Barbara Kopple