BY BIANCA SPRIGGS
On Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 7 PM, Natasha’s Bistro and Bar will host The Coal War: An Evening With The Arts to benefit the making of the documentary, A Thousand Little Cuts, directed and produced by Chad A. Stevens.
Stevens is the 2010 recipient of Columbia University’s Alfred I. duPont Award. He has been nominated for two news and documentary Emmy Awards, and he won Webby Awards in 2008 and 2009. He has received awards from the Pictures of the Year International and Best of Photojournalism competitions. Stevens is professor of journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and former editor at MediaStorm, an innovative multimedia production company.
“Coal River Mountain is an ancient Appalachian cradle of rolling ridges and nestled hollows, which provide refuge to a variety of delicate wildlife species and a home to a uniquely American mountain culture. But just beneath the surface lays something that calls into question the mountain’s very survival: $4.3 billion worth of coal. Massey Energy holds permits to clear-cut 6,450 acres of hardwood forest on the mountain and to detonate thousands of tons of explosives. The blasts will topple debris into nine miles of streams below, destroying not just the mountain, but also the land and the way of life of those who live there…The Coal War is the story of a symbol and a struggle: one mountain destined to be destroyed by the coal industry and a courageous effort to bring renewable energy to the heartland of America.”
A teaser for the the documentary may be found at: www.thecoalwar.com.
The Coal War: An Evening With The Arts will feature readings by The Affrilachian Poets, a theatrical performance by Adam Luckey, and music by Coralee and the Townies, along with a silent auction.
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Time: 7 PM
Admission: $10
Sponsor Table: $100
