Directed by: Herb E. Smith
1994
Running Time: 58:00
Color
There is a constant tension between the forces of an ever changing economy and need to have stable communities. All communities must have an economic base, yet changes in economic conditions can devastate a community. As technologies change, workers can lose their jobs and whole communities can be left without a stable source of income. Beyond Measure looks at specific examples of people wrestling with these challenges, the people of the Appalachian Mountains, the
people of the Appalachian coalfields.
People in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains know how to survive hard times. Currrently thousands of coal miners are losing their jobs as a wave of newer and bigger machine moves through the coalfields. As jobs are lost, communities face an uncertain future. Beyond Measure places the present challenges in a larger historical context and document efforts of citizens to rebuild their communities. The beauty and challenges of living in the mountains are shown as the people describe their daily lives. Rather than a disembodied voice narrating the film, we hear the words and clarity and depth which comes straight from their own experiences. They describe how the mutual aid and suppot of extended families and attachments to the land are more important than the things economists usually measure.
Reviews
"'Beyond Measure' teaches us that paying jobs my come and go, but ultimately it is family, resiliency, and a sense of community that really counts." - Douglas Woolley, Professor, Department of Economics, Radford University
"A beautiful film about Appalachian people and their relationship with the land and its rich resources that are often owned by corporations elsewhere." - Loyal Jones, Former Director, Berea College Appalachian Center
Screenings & Festivals
Appalachian Development Committee Assembly Retreat '96 - Screening
Athens Film Festival Screening
Atlanta High Museum of Art - Screening
Center for the Arts '95, Vero Beach - Screening/Southern Circuit Tour
Clemson University, Clemson - Screening/Southern Circuit Tour
Down Home, Downtown: Urban Appalachia Today '95 - Screening
Duke University, Durham '95 - Screening/Southern Circuit Tour
Houston Museum of Fine Arts - Screening
North Carolina State University, Raleigh '95 - Screening/Southern Circuit Tour
Robert Flaherty Seminar - Screening
West Virginia International Film Festival - Screening
Western Psychological Association Conference - Screening
Pueblo of Zuni Rainbow Project '96 - Tribal Chiefs' Meeting on Environmental Issues
