THE MOUNTAIN MINOR To Air On West Virginia Public Broadcasting Beginning September 14
The film that tells the story of family of musicians from Eastern Kentucky who moved to Ohio in the 1930s.
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 31, 2020
During the Great Depression, many Appalachian natives migrated to other parts of the country, desperate to find work. In the process, they brought with them the old-time mountain music that had been their primary source of entertainment before phonographs and radio were widely available, especially in remote areas.
On September 14 and 19, West Virginia Public Broadcasting plans to air The Mountain Minor, a new independent film that tells the story of one such family of musicians from Eastern Kentucky who moved to Ohio in the 1930s.
"West Virginia Public Broadcasting is always looking for storytelling that is rich in Appalachia history and culture," said Eddie Isom, Director of Programming for West Virginia Public Broadcasting. "The Mountain Minor is the story of a lot of Appalachians and we know our audience will relate to the story and find a connection with the music used in the film."
"There are regional differences between the music of Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia, but the music is more similar than it is different," said writer-director Dale Farmer. "The experiences of the people in both states were also similar during the Great Depression. Of all the Appalachian states, most migrants to Ohio came from West Virginia and Kentucky"
Farmer, an old-time musician himself, was determined to portray the characters as authentically as possible, including their music. So much so, that in casting the film, he decided to use real, old-time musicians instead of actors.
"I thought it would be easier to teach musicians how to act than to teach actors how to play mountain music," Farmer explained. "I did not want them to lip-sync or play to pre-recorded tracks, the way musical scenes are usually shot. Every musical performance in the film was shot 'live,' rough edges and all. I wanted everything to look real."
The Mountain Minor features contemporary musical artists who are known for folk and old-time mountain music, including Smithsonian Folkways artist Elizabeth LaPrelle, The Tillers, Dan Gellert, Ma Crow, Trevor McKenzie, Lucas Pasley, Hazel Pasley, Asa Nelson, Warren Waldron, Judy Waldron, Aaron Wolfe, Jean Dowell and Susan Pepper.
Former Kentucky Governor Paul Patton presented The Mountain Minor the "The Spirit of the Mountains" Award at the UPIKE Film and Media Arts Festival. The film has won numerous additional awards including Best Drama at the Longleaf Festival at the North Carolina History Museum and the Franklin International Film Festival (Tennessee), Best Feature at The Northeast Mountain Festival (Georgia), and Best of Festival at The Endless Mountain Film Festival (Pennsylvania) and The Jukebox International Film Festival (Nevada).
The Mountain Minor will air on West Virginia Public Broadcasting on Monday, September 14 at 9:00 p.m. It will also air on the West Virginia Channel of WVPB on Saturday, September 19 at 9:00 p.m.
Check local listings or visit wvpublic.org. Information about the film is available at TheMountainMinorMovie.com.
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