POSTPONED SouthTalks: Screening of King Coal

This event is postponed.

VISITING DOCUMENTARIAN SERIES

Screening of King Coal + Q&A with Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon

Elaine McMillion Sheldon is one of the Center’s visiting documentarians this spring. She will screen her film King Coal. A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, King Coal meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created. While situated in the communities under the reign of King Coal, the film transcends time and place, emphasizing how all are connected through an immersive mosaic of belonging, ritual, and imagination. Emerging from the long shadows of the coal mines, King Coal untangles the pain from the beauty and illuminates the innately human capacity for change.

Elaine McMillion Sheldon is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker based in Appalachia. Known for her intimate, nuanced portrayals of rural communities, she brings an honest, humanizing lens to stories often overlooked by mainstream media. With King Coal, Sheldon continues her exploration of Appalachian culture, drawing audiences into the heart of coal country to see a world beyond stereotypes and headlines.

This Visiting Documentarian Series is made possible in part by the Berkley Hudson Visiting Documentarian Fund.

SouthTalks is a series of events, including lectures, performances, film screenings and panel discussions, exploring the interdisciplinary nature of Southern Studies, sponsored by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. All events are free and open to the public.