As oil continues to leak into the gulf amidst promises that “this will never happen again,” spoken by suited executives a world away – physically, financially and spiritually – from newly bankrupted fishermen, shrimpers and small business owners, it’s clear that Barbara Kopple’s Harlan County, USA is sadly as relevant today as it was over 30 years ago.

Harlan County chronicles the lives of Kentucky coalminers in the mid-1970’s, as nearly 200 miners strike against the Duke Power Company, protesting unconscionably unsafe conditions and low pay. Despite backbreaking labor and long shifts in the damp darkness, families lived in abject poverty without benefit of running water or indoor plumbing. This despite annual sales increases for Duke Power of 170%. Sound familiar?

Kopple won an Academy Award for the film in 1978, and deservedly so. Her instincts as a filmmaker were right on target. This strike was no mere march on a picket line. Scabs toted, and fired, guns. Union bosses murdered labor leaders’ entire families. Mines exploded, then imploded, on miners who were quickly replaced and forgotten. Set to a haunting soundtrack of Appalachian Bluegrass and traditional labor songs, Harlan County takes us into the homes and troubled hearts of people who seem more likely plucked from the 1930’s, not the 70’s!

Harlan County, USA does exactly what a documentary is supposed to do. It incites; it enrages; it inspires. Greed renders a heavy human toll. This has always been so and will continue to be, until we all stand up against it. Which is why it’s a good thing that the film is enjoying a resurgence! Look for it in a festival near you, buy it on Amazon, or order it on Netflix. And if you’ve got it in your head that documentaries are boring — witnessing a young Barbara Kopple – the ultimate Mom in the Mix – pointing and shooting her camera amidst gunfire will change this forever!

Harlan County, USA plays this weekend at the Woods Hole Film Festival on Cape Cod – a sunny gem of a fest, where a boardwalk stands in for a red carpet and flip-flops trump Manolos. Despite the casual vibe and the beachy setting, Woods Hole has become known for programming a slate of hard-hitting docs side by side with top notch indie drama and comedy fare.

Kopple will be on hand for a Q & A after the screening. Kopple’s American Dream and Shut Up & Sing, which follows the Dixie Chicks in the wake of Natalie Maines’ derogatory statement about George Bush and its resulting backlash will also screen. For ticket info (should you be vacationing on the “right coast!”) go to “http://www.woodsholefilmfestival.org”

Keywords: 1978 Academy Award winning filmmaker, 19th Annual Woods Hole Film Festival, 2010 Filmmaker in Residence, Barbara Kopple, BP oil spill, celebrity moms, Gwen O'Donnell, Harlan County USA