Harlan County USA (1976)
Criterion Collection, Restored, Special Edition English · Blu-ray

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Barbara Kopple’s Academy Award–winning Harlan County USA unflinchingly documents a coal miners’ strike in a small Kentucky town. With unprecedented access, Kopple and her crew captured the miners’ sometimes violent struggles with strikebreakers, local police, and company thugs. With a haunting soundtrack—featuring legendary country and bluegrass artists Hazel Dickens, Merle Travis, David Morris, Sarah Ogan Gunning, and Florence Reece—the film is a heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Barbara Kopple, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
Audio commentary by Kopple and editor Nancy Baker
Making-of documentary featuring interviews with Kopple, crew members, and strike participants featured in the film
Outtakes from the film
Interview with bluegrass singer-songwriter Hazel Dickens
Interview with filmmaker John Sayles
Panel discussion from the 2005 Sundance Film Festival featuring Kopple and critic Roger Ebert
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Cover by Eric Skillman