The Last Hillbilly

Tal­cum, East­ern Ken­tucky. A remote rur­al area where peo­ple feel less Amer­i­can than Appalachi­an. For decades, Bri­an Ritchie and his fam­i­ly have been liv­ing there. But the mines have been shut down, with noth­ing to replace them. And over time, the inhab­i­tants have seen an explo­sive mix made of eco­nom­ic decline, eco­log­i­cal dis­as­ter, and social vio­lence, devel­op. In the US they are often called “hill­bil­lies”. Caught between a myth­i­cal past and an indis­cernible future, Bri­an Ritchie is one of the last wit­ness­es of a van­ish­ing world, that inspires his poetry.

By : Diane-Sara Bouzgarrou & Thomas Jenkoe
Duration : 1h20
With : Brian Ritchie
Nationality : France, Qatar & USA