Principal cast
Norman Yarborough, Houston Elmore, Phil Sparks, Bessie Lou Cornett Parker and Sudie Crusenberry
Film 290 of 307 on the Screen Path
Harlan County U.S.A.
Which Side Are You On?
About the film
Harlan County U.S.A. at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1976 film at stop 290 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
This film documents the coal miners' strike against the Brookside Mine of the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky in June, 1973. Eastover's refusal to sign a contract (when the miners joined with the United Mine Workers of America) led to the strike, which lasted more than a year and included violent battles between gun-toting company thugs/scabs and the picketing miners and their supportive women-folk. Director Barbara Kopple puts the strike into perspective by giving us some background on the historical plight of the miners and some history of the UMWA. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with New York Women in Film & Television in 2004.
Key craft credits
Hart Perry (director of photography), Kevin Keating (director of photography), Lora Hays (editor), Mary Lampson (editor) and Mirra Bank (editor)
- Director
- Barbara Kopple
- Release
- 1976-10-15
- Runtime
- 104 minutes
- Genres
- Documentary
- Country
- United States
- Quiz
- 50 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 50 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
50 questions in this journeyCitizen Kane is the complete public example: both learning videos and a five-question sample quiz are available below.
Start the example →Film data and images provided by TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.