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The Official Website of the State of West Virginia

Movie about West Virginia coal miners picked to be part of National Film Registry

12/19/2023

​​​​CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — “Matewan,” the 1987 film about West Virginia coal miners that was shot in the Mountain State, is among the 25 films inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.


The John Sayles-directed film is set in 1920s Mingo County and dramatizes the Matewan Massacre, a bloody battle between coal miners and Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency men.

While Chris Cooper’s character — Joe Kenehan — is not real, the film follows real-life coal miners who are looking to form a union. Kenehan comes to Matewan to bring the members of the community together in the face of company forces and the detective agency.

Read more:
https://www.wowktv.com/news/entertainment-news/movie-about-west-virginia-coal-miners-picked-to-be-part-of-national-film-registry/​