Harlan County U.S.A.
“Which Side Are You On?”
Storyline
This film documents the coal miners' strike against the Brookside Mine of the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky in June, 1973. Eastover's 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.
Cast & Crew
Norman Yarborough
Self - Eastover Mining President
LeadHouston Elmore
Self - UMW Organizer
Phil Sparks
Self - UMW Staff
Bessie Lou Cornett Parker
Self
Sudie Crusenberry
Self
Mary Lou Fergerson
Self
Basil Collins
Self - Mine Foreman
Florence Reece
Self
What People Are Saying
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Barbara Kopple's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
“Every frame feels alive. Harlan County U.S.A. is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
