Experiencing 'King Coal' at the Denver Film Festival

By Zuri Leigh

The new film, directed by Elaine McMillion Sheldon, ran for one hour and twenty minutes and I was captivated the whole time. Everything from the cinematography, to the sound design, to the two little ladies with outstanding charisma ticked all the boxes for a thrilling documentary. I had no idea what to expect when the Denver Film Festival came back around this year. They always introduce some amazing media programming from all over the world. I really went in with my eyes closed but once they were open, I was hooked.

Coming from West Virginia I knew I had to see this film. I was excited to see it on the program for the Denver Film Festival. I wouldn’t say it’s rare, but it was definitely a nice surprise to see some representation on the big screen for my wild and wonderful home state. I was proud to go and support such a win for Appalachia. I felt quite emotional, because I knew I was one of the few folks in the theater from West Virginia who truly knew the history and yet I was taken by how alluring and captivating the story was.

“King Coal” showed us the beautiful yet tragic connection between nature and human life. Nothing can be created without something first being destroyed and I was quickly reminded of this truth while watching the film. Through the eyes of the two main little girls you learn about how coal is formed from plant debris, heat, pressure and time. Not only do we see this from a scientific point of view, but we get an intense look into the dark history of mining and how destructive it is. Many families dealt with race relations, not being paid what they were worth, starting a union, health issues, injuries and in some cases loss of life.

That being said, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. I saw the lightning bugs as a representation of this in the film. I hadn’t seen them in so long and the moment I saw them fluttering on screen I felt a sense of nostalgia. Appalachia is such a magical place and I am beyond happy people get a chance to see it on such a big scale. Some of my favorite shots were of the wildlife. It was an absolutely breathtaking view. I remember walking around Kanawha State Forest in elementary school and being mesmerized by the birds to the point where I began whistling like a Cardinal. I soon realized I had a talent for it, and to find out all of the sounds from the film were done by breath artist Shodekeh Talifero, rounded out my experience.

When the film came to a close I really wanted to know if there were any Mountaineers in the audience so I made a little announcement. To my surprise the people I was sitting next to raised their hands. We met up in the lobby and shared our excitement. We exchanged last names. I was pleased to find out they knew my grandfather, and we had gone to the same high school. It was a lovely way to end my viewing experience, and I’m glad they spoke up when I chanted “Let’s GO!” It was refreshing to see how many people had shown up to the Denver Film Festival and even more refreshing to see Appalachia displayed in such a powerful way.