And he asked me not to sneak up on him anymore. And as a kid, you know, often playing pranks, I snuck up behind my grandpa once and scared him and saw his face turned white as a ghost. But you learn not to sneak up behind them. MCMILLION SHELDON: Yeah, well, this is true for most of the men in my family who worked in the coal mines. Quite an anecdote in this film where you remember coming up behind your grandfather once. And so as years have dwindled in employment, that culture has hung on. And there's been a lot of pride wrapped up in this job for fueling the industrial revolution and much more. And I think we can partially attribute that to the fact that this has been a historically very dangerous job for people, and they've risked a lot to do this job. But locally on the ground, in the coalfields, the feeling is much more one of identity, belonging and community. And so when we just look at facts and figures alone, we don't see the full story of coal. MCMILLION SHELDON: Well, I think from an outsider's point of view, it's a job, and it's a dwindling job. SIMON: Help us understand the hold that coal has on the lives of people you know and grew up with. Thank you so much for being with us.ĮLAINE MCMILLION SHELDON: Thank you for having me. SIMON: Elaine McMillion Sheldon joins us now from Knoxville, Tenn. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: And the straw boss said, well, bless my soul. UNIDENTIFIED STUDENTS: I loaded 16 tons of No. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: I loaded 16 tons of No. UNIDENTIFIED STUDENTS: I picked up my shovel, and I walked to the mines. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: I picked up my shovel, and I walked to the mines. And her documentary is part poetry, part imagery, history and storytelling about the hold of coal on people's lives, fortunes and dreams, like when a coal miner stands before youngsters in a classroom. She is also from a fourth-generation coal mining family. She's a filmmaker with many awards - a Peabody, Emmys, an Oscar nomination. It's about the reign of king coal in Appalachia, and she knows the territory. Elaine McMillion Sheldon's new film defies labels.
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