“It was just our farewell to show them that our community on a quick notice on a Sunday afternoon that we would end up with forty people,” said Beattyville Mayor Scott Jackson. At first, Jackson was skeptical about how the documentary was going to portray the small town.
“The first thing I asked when they come are you going to be positive or negative and they went on everything they were going to do and nothing was going to be negative they just want to show the world that Appalachia is not what its portrayed to be,” added Jackson.
But Jackson learned the director just wanted to tell the stories of people in Beattyville.
“I just came to fall in love with it and realize so much of the stereotypes and the media representation is so unfair and I think it’s about time that people get the chance to actually tell the stories themselves without having the media say it for them,” said filmmaker Ashton Gleckman.
Gleckman also wanted to feature the wonders of Lee County.
“Literally it has been probably the most eye-opening experience of my life and I hope that more people after seeing the film and more people, in general, will come out here and see it with her own eyes because it really is an extraordinary place,” added Gleckman.
Gleckman hopes the documentary will be released in early 2021.
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