King Coal, a film that mixes multiple genres together to create the blend that is Appalachia. It has scenes that vary from industrial towns to a flora-rich imaginative world that the young lead imagines. The film draws in its audience through a young girl Laine and her friend Gabby. Laine and Gabby explore Appalicha’s dreams and myths. With the coal industry slowly fading, the film follows the lead and her town on the brink of economic change.
“King Coal honors place in a way that folks from here and from somewhere else both understand—and that really matters. West Virginia news new myths and fables to define the past and future. New imagination to craft possibilities. My students saw that possibility and, more importantly, saw themselves in the story. They were the students in the classroom when the miner visited, they were the kids at the fairs and festivals, and they were the kids dreaming big and wondering what dreams West Virginia can hold for them.” stated Carroll.
Elaine Sheldon’s intention when directing this film was that a light would be focused on the parts that aren’t usually seen in West Virginia. Sheldon went to school for film and then later focused on documentaries until she graduated. Although money was tight sometimes; Sheldon always prioritized film, strictly because it was something that she was so very passionate about.
“I think in some ways the girls are stand-ins for us kids that grew up like them, but also they integrated into the story in a way that added playfulness and fun. When people think of coal, they don’t think of children but yet we teach them in the classrooms. The children are already in the story, but I wanted them to be in the center of everything.” Sheldon stated.
King Coal, a film that mixes multiple genres together to create the blend that is Appalachia. It has scenes that vary from industrial towns to a flora-rich imaginative world that the young lead imagines. The film draws in its audience through a young girl Laine and her friend Gabby. Laine and Gabby explore Appalicha’s dreams and myths. With the coal industry slowly fading, the film follows the lead and her town on the brink of economic change.
“King Coal honors place in a way that folks from here and from somewhere else both understand—and that really matters. West Virginia news new myths and fables to define the past and future. New imagination to craft possibilities. My students saw that possibility and, more importantly, saw themselves in the story. They were the students in the classroom when the miner visited, they were the kids at the fairs and festivals, and they were the kids dreaming big and wondering what dreams West Virginia can hold for them.” stated Carroll.
Elaine Sheldon’s intention when directing this film was that a light would be focused on the parts that aren’t usually seen in West Virginia. Sheldon went to school for film and then later focused on documentaries until she graduated. Although money was tight sometimes; Sheldon always prioritized film, strictly because it was something that she was so very passionate about.
“I think in some ways the girls are stand-ins for us kids that grew up like them, but also they integrated into the story in a way that added playfulness and fun. When people think of coal, they don’t think of children but yet we teach them in the classrooms. The children are already in the story, but I wanted them to be in the center of everything.” Sheldon stated.
