Overburden

When an errant spark ignited the methane leaking in the Upper Big Branch mine in 2010, a fireball ripped through miles of underground tunnels in Appalachia’s coal country, killing everything it touched – including 29 men. In the aftermath of the devastating explosion, two former political enemies are united by the toll the disaster takes on their families and community: a right-wing pro-coal activist joins forces with a tree-hugging grandmother to take down the most dangerous coal company in the United States.

“Overburden” is a disarming and powerful new film that shows the human stories from coal country – including stunning events that will either divide or unify a community, its coal workers and their families. The story, unfolding over eight years, follows two women as they join forces to take on Massey Energy, the most dangerous coal company in America. According to The Guardian, the coal industry is in a “terminal decline,” leaving these communities facing an uncertain and dire future. “Overburden” is the first film of its kind to document the end of the age of coal and celebrate the heroes who are standing up to rebuild their fractured communities.