The history and legacy of West Virginia is as old as the mountains themselves. The New River is recognized internationally as the second oldest river in the world and many of the mountain tops are worn-down and eroded after millions of years of existence. Nestled within those mountains is energy trapped in the form of pressurized hydrocarbons that release their energy during combustion.

“King Coal” is a 2023 documentary film that attempts to explore the deeply held cultural and spiritual reverence for the hidden hydrocarbons within the hills of West Virginia. After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, “King Coal” has been playing nationwide in select theaters since. In the film, West Virginia native Elaine McMillion Sheldon, paints a vivid portrait of a community consumed by the economic monolith that helped build our country.

The film is less a documentary on the history and circumstance that led us to the present day and more of a rhythmic retelling of a certain kind of mythology. Sheldon eschews conventional informational communication in favor of artistic, aesthetic communication. Rather than show complicated and confusing charts, graphs and documents to explain the economic reality many West Virginians face today, “King Coal” utilizes the stunning cinematography from Sheldon to tell a visual story of decay, heartache and destitution.

For example, instead of bringing on talking heads who could explain the material conditions that lead to deforestation, “King Coal” gives us a panoramic tracking shot of a mountaintop devastated by strip mining. It’s haunting, harrowing and horrifying and the voice-over narration that Sheldon provides adds weight and gravitas to the portrait being painted. Similarly, rather than charting the economic decline of Central Appalachia, “King Coal” demonstrates a mock funeral performance for the coal industry. Yet the question still lingers; what does the future hold past resource extraction?

Art comes in many forms and to call “King Coal” a documentary feels like a disservice because it’s attempting so much more. “King Coal” explores the intersectionality of America and Appalachia, from the unionization of the labor force to the emancipation of African-Americans. It’s a visual poetry of the Appalachian myth distilled down to its most fundamental and primordial aspect.