What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Harlan County, USA is a riveting and intense 1976 documentary chronicling a 13-month miners' strike in eastern Kentucky that shows violent altercations between strikers and union-busters, as well as the funeral of a murdered striker where family members are expressing deep shock and sorrow. These scenes might be too much for younger viewers, but for teens and adults interested in the struggles and sometimes fierce battles between organized labor and big business, Barbara Koppel's Oscar-winning documentary is as good as it gets.
- Families can talk about how a documentary like this was made. What do you think were the challenges the filmmakers had to face before, during, and after filming?
- What role does music play in this documentary, and how are the songs used in the film to tell the miners' stories?
- Did anything surprise you in this documentary? Did you learn anything? What's the current state of unions in the United States?