Скачать или смотреть The Black Pit | APPALACHIAN HOLLER | Ep. 05

Appalachian coal camp life: company stores, scrip wages, roof falls — and mules that never saw daylight.
A raw and intimate documentary series from Appalachia — told through the people, places, and songs that keep its spirit alive.
▶ Explore the series playlist:    • APPALACHIAN HOLLER — Essential Episodes  

An ongoing one-person documentary project since 2017. New episodes keep coming — pretty regular.

APPALACHIAN HOLLER — Ep. 05: The Black Pit

Coal camp life was company life. You worked their mine, lived in their house, and bought from their company store — paid in scrip that was only good where they said it was. Quotas decided whether you kept your job, your home, and your place in town.

Underground, roof falls killed men. Mules hauled coal in darkness — some said they lived and died without ever seeing daylight.

Set in the Pocahontas coalfield across southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia, this episode traces the labor, danger, and control that shaped Appalachian company towns — and the communities that held on above ground.

▶ Watch the full series in order:    • Shady Grove — Lyle Rickards | APPALACHIAN ...  

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🌐 Filmmaker's Website: https://matthiaslawetzky.de/

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DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in this series are those of the individuals featured and do not necessarily reflect those of the creator. This documentary is presented for educational and cultural purposes. No guarantee of completeness or accuracy is given; no liability is accepted.

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CREDITS

Produced, directed, filmed, edited, and scored by
Matthias Lawetzky

Featuring
Toby Barbour
Gary Davis
and others

With thanks to
Ashley Cates
Nancy Barbour
Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine & Museum, Pocahontas Virginia
Jamie & Tarah Kesterson
Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy
Mike Risch
Mary Pat Yarusites
Rotraut Pape
and all who shared their time

Archival footage:
“Original Pocahontas Coal” — Courtesy of Prelinger Archives via the Internet Archive

Funded by
Hessen Film & Medien GmbH
Hessische Kulturstiftung

© 2025 Matthias Lawetzky. All rights reserved.

#AppalachianHoller #CoalMining #CoalCamp #CompanyTown #Scrip #Appalachia #WestVirginia #Virginia #DocumentaryFilm #LaborHistory