Building on a radical past, folks in West Virginia work to save their present and future from a dying coal industry, and the rise of oil and gas.
“A workhorse documentary that’s blue collar in presentation yet fiercely strong in its voice of advocacy and truth.” – Richard Propes, The Independent Critic.
Building on a radical past, folks in the hills and hollers of West Virginia seek to save their communities and ecosystems by highlighting the dangers of dying coal, the false promises of rising oil and gas, and the potential for a radical future based on a just transition and community.
The film provides insights and inspiration for how to transition from an economy based on the exploitation of land and labor, to one of mutual aid and ecological integrity and serves as a non-ideological road map for community struggles across North America while highlighting the dangers of keeping the coal industry alive, while also exposing the false promises of rising oil and gas.
“Hard Road of Hope explains the peoples’ history of the region through the voices of people who still remember…The stories in this documentary are many, and watching it unravels what should be in front of all of our eyes in all of our struggles. [Director Eleanor] Goldfield pries the viewer’s eyes open to see how the use of radical history is a tool we need in order to see where we come from so we can clearly see the now and build a just future.” – Orin Langelle co-founder Global Justice Ecology.
“Yes, yes, yes! this is a must see film for everyone, everywhere! Eleanor Goldfield has struck that sweet spot between hard facts and storytelling, weaving together a powerful and inspiring story about land and our relationship with it– something that is rarely achieved in documentary films. And, personally, nothing energizes me more to act than to have someone beautiful connect threads of historical resistance with today’s apocalyptic times. I am energized to meet folks at the intersections on the hard road to hope!” – Carla Bergman, organizer, filmmaker, author.
“So many have come to WV to tell our story- some have done so better than others. But Eleanor’s film is one of the very few that told our story in our own words; succinctly, and with a clarity and dignity that can’t be ignored. Our story is yet another in a long line of wake up calls happening around the world. Eleanor’s film sounds that alarm in a way that can’t be denied.” – Paul Corbit Brown president Keepers of the Mountains.
54 minutes / Color / English / 2020 / A film by Eleanor Goldfield
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