Marin filmmakers’ new documentary to open Green Film Festival
When Marin filmmakers Babette Hogan and Julie Eisenberg began to search for a new story to tell in 2008 surrounding the environment and politics — two of their interests that have driven their work — and how they influence one another, they met Jesse Johnson, an environmental and political activist who was then running for governor of West Virginia.
“Jesse has a very passionate and engaging presence,” says Eisenberg, of Mill Valley. “Jesse approached us and said, ‘If you want to tell a story about the environment and politics, you have to come to West Virginia because they’re blowing up the mountains here.’ The whole basis of his campaign was to expose what mountaintop removal was doing to Appalachia. So, we were like, let’s see.”
Taking him up on his offer, it didn’t take long for them to realize that it was “much more serious” than they expected.
“We were reluctant to believe that it could be as bad as it became evident that it was,” says Hogan, of San Rafael. “We thought maybe he was exaggerating, that he was just using it as a campaign point, but, in fact, no. And that shook us up quite a bit.”
Their work and digging for 15 years would become “Running for the Mountains,” their new documentary that makes its Bay Area premiere at the Green Film Festival of San Francisco at 6 p.m. Thursday at the 4 Star Theater in San Francisco. Admission is $15. The duo will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. It can also be streamed online from Thursday through Oct. 27 as well as at an online screening and live discussion at noon Sunday. Streaming shows are $10. To get tickets and more information, go to greenfest2024.eventive.org/welcome.
The documentary “uncovers a story of dirty money and dirty politics — one that affects the entire nation” and showcases the “rough-and-tumble politics and reckless policies that dominate West Virginia.” It reflects on how politicians like West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, with immense control over the energy policies of the nation, go toward personal profit, while risking the water and air — and health — of their constituents.
“We had a background in health, and health became one of the big issues and themes in our film as well. And then we had our own separate careers dealing with other various issues: unions, energy and the environment,” says Eisenberg, who met Hogan while making medical training videos.
The documentary recently received the Best Environmental Documentary Award by Ohio’s Chagrin Documentary Film Festival.
Before having a “hometown” showing on their documentary, the pair took the time to speak about their work and the film.
Q In “Running for the Mountains,” there are shots with Mount Tamalpais in the background. While making this film, did you reflect on our own mountain?
Hogan: If you have resources, particularly fossil fuel resources, or anything that can be mined, yes, you’re at risk. There are many states that are now greatly at risk, and California is not without risk. When I look at Mt. Tam, I cherish it. I just came from a hike with my dog, and I can’t imagine being in a position like (father of the anti-mountaintop removal activist movement) Larry Gibson up on Kayford Mountain. That place which he knew was completely destroyed. And that affected me deeply.
Q When did you realize how big of a problem mountaintop removal was in the area?
Hogan: In 2008, it was very evident when I met Manchin. And also, that was when I got up in a plane for the first time to see what was going on. Like many mining or forestry situations, they know how to mask it from the general view, so you don’t see it happening until it’s way too late.
Eisenberg: From the air, it’s very clear what’s going on and what’s draining down from this operation into these streams and creeks. It’s shocking, and it’s shocking how long it went on for without a lot of national exposure, but that’s part of our film as well: getting into the reasons why this destruction wasn’t really known to many people even within West Virginia.
Q In the film, you reflect on why this story isn’t as widespread. When did you realize you need to be the tellers of this tale?
Hogan: With my arrest, being plucked from inside a car without any just reason, was alarming enough to understand that’s why nobody from the inside can tell the story. They’re afraid of being arrested. Another thing that goes on there is that your friends and family are all coal miners or they’re somehow related. And you can’t get a job if you speak up against the major systems that are at play there. All of those things combine to create a hardship for people there to stand up for themselves. We too asked like, how is it our business to tell your story? That was one reason why it was really important for us to draw them in as much as possible. We were trying to find the way to nationalize the story, make it understandable to people from the outside, but also to make it tangible to the people within West Virginia and other Central Appalachian states that don’t get this information.
Eisenberg: Meeting one person led to another. There are a lot of layers. And with people becoming more familiar with us and knowing who we were and seeing that we had a genuine interest and wanted to learn, I think that really helped people take us in almost as family and trust us.
Q In the film, Hogan, you show yourself getting arrested. What led to that experience?
Hogan: It was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life to be arrested in that way. I was suddenly out of my body, just observing the whole situation. (The state police) were there to protect the Friends of Coal people who had been organizing around a mine. I was there to listen to a talk from a former congressman, Ken Hechler, who had written the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. We were there for another reason, but nonetheless, our car got stopped, and I got pulled out of the car. It was because I was holding a camera visibly on the scene. It is only by some coincidence that someone behind me had the gall to be videotaping that. … By the end, the man who arrested me was so nervous. As he was fingerprinting me, he was shaking. I said, “Can I help you?” You could see he was looking at me, and I felt like he realized suddenly that he had arrested like his mother, someone who was a good person. And he says, “You’re going to write about me someday.” And I said, “Probably.” We’ve done the movie instead.
Q Why did you decide to release it when you did?
Eisenberg: Personally, I think because of Manchin. Jesse ran against him so many times. And every time there was a discussion of politics, his name was coming up as a major influencer. And as he ascended to the Senate and became more and more important in United States energy policy, we really felt as though it was important to spotlight what was going on, this influence on the state that was driving so much of the United States’ energy policy.
Hogan: When President Joe Biden got into office, Manchin started pulling those strings. And he did it in so many ways that were even detrimental to his own constituents.
Eisenberg: One thing that struck us, in the course of this journey following political campaigns, was the way that patriotism and patriotic sacrifice had been appropriated. We were very interested in seeing how coal or gas were given this veneer of patriotism and how people were pushed because we look and go, how can they give up their beautiful land and homes? You start to learn about what the industry brings into these poor towns in terms of goodies, like it’s Coal Day at school, here comes the fair, look who sponsors it, look at your football uniforms. Look how much good we’re bringing you.
Q What do you hope people take away from this?
Eisenberg: Every election is important, from the ground up. The senators and people we elect, they’re all important. That’s something we learned. What happens in West Virginia still impacts the country.
More information on the film can be found at runningforthemountains.com.
Other films
Some of the other films at the festival include:
Former Marin resident Lisa Landers’ “Giants Rising,” a film that shares the secrets and saga of the redwoods, screens at 2:15 p.m. Sunday at 4 Star Theater in San Francisco as well as online through Oct. 27.
Mill Valley resident’s Will Parrinello’s “Water for Life” is an exploration of the collision of water rights, Indigenous beliefs and resource extraction through the lives of three Latin American community leaders at 6 p.m. Oct. 21 at the 4 Star Theater in San Francisco as well as online through Oct. 27.
For more information and to get tickets ($10 to $15), go to greenfest2024.eventive.org/welcome.