Sunday Showcase 
The High Lonesome Sound 

Directed by John Cohen 

Sunday, October 8, 12:30 pm  CINEMA+ 

FREE

“The poignant songs of church-goers, miners, and farmers of eastern Kentucky express the joys and sorrows of life among the rural poor. […] The sense of reality the film generates, its comprehensiveness, and its powerful photography make it good and useful; what makes it a great film is its great theme, the awe-inspiring dignity, beauty, and art of the common man in the face of adversity and hardship.” — Journal of American Folklore. 

In 1959, a Jewish New York artist named John Cohen set off for Eastern Kentucky to capture the region’s rich cultural traditions. The resulting film, The High Lonesome Sound, is a beautiful document of the filmmaker’s love for the culture, and a fascinating example of an affinity often felt by Jews for Appalachian artistry. Cohen’s work in the region would go on to have a complicated and uneven impact on those he captured, revealing both the connections and tensions that can develop between two cultural groups existing outside of the American mainstream.

Filson Historical Society Community History Fellow Nathan Viner will be joined by musician and archivist Nathan Salsburg and eastern Kentucky musician and educator Randy Wilson to present a 16mm print of Cohen’s film, followed by a discussion of the work and the many ties that can be found linking Jewish and Appalachian traditions. 1963, U.S., 16mm, 30 minutes. Program length with panel is 90 minutes. Recommended for 12+

Co-presented with the Filson Historical Society. Print courtesy the Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive and film rights courtesy Berkeley Media LLC.

CINEMA+ Followed by a discussion between Filson Historical Society Community History Fellow and Lamplighter Film Union founder Nathan Viner, Center for Cultural Equity Curator Nathan Salsburg, and Appalachian musician and educator Randy Wilson.