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Harlan County, USA (Criterion Collection)

 

  Produced and Directed by Barbara Kopple

US 1976 / Documentary / 103 min / Color / Monaural / 1.78: 1 Widescreen Anamorphic / NTSC /  In English with Optional English Subtitles

Barbara Kopple’s Academy Award–winning Harlan County USA unflinchingly documents a grueling coal miners’ strike in a small Kentucky town. With unprecedented access, Kopple and her crew captured the miners’ sometimes violent struggles with strikebreakers, local police, and company thugs. Featuring a haunting soundtrack—with legendary country and bluegrass artists Hazel Dickens, Merle Travis, Sarah Gunning, and Florence Reece—the film is a heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.

 
       

Bonus Features:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director-producer Barbara Kopple
Audio commentary by Kopple and editor Nancy Baker
The Making of “Harlan County, USA,” a new documentary featuring interviews with Kopple, crew members and strike participants featured in the film
New video interview with legendary bluegrass singer-songwriter Hazel Dickens
Never-before-seen outtakes from the film
New video interview with director John Sayles
A panel discussion from the 2005 Sundance Film Festival featuring Kopple and Roger Ebert
Original theatrical trailer
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired