Encore Presentation of Butte, America Tonight on Independent Lens

“[Butte, America] is one of those films you just couldn’t imagine on commercial TV –– a tale about a Montana mining town that died more than a generation ago, a rich catalog of memory that ends in 1985, a story of tragedy and triumph that’s mostly played out before the invention of videotape.”
– Kansas City Star

You see the world differently when you work underground. That made Butte, Montana different right from the start as immigrants came from around the world to work the mines. But what they blasted out of the 10,000 miles of tunnels was more than just copper. It was the rise of unions and multinational corporations, and the seeds of the current debate over the environment.

Check out this behind-the-scenes video of Butte, America where the filmmakers talk about how they used recreations and interviews to evoke the most immediate emotional response from the audience.

Butte, America airs tonight, March 16, at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings).