The Last Hillbilly

In the state of Kentucky, it is often said that its residents feel less American than Appalachian. Those remaining in the area are often referred to disparagingly as “hillbillies.” For Brian Ritchie, a gentle local worker and loving father, this term is a provocation to be proud of, regularly using it in his affirming, vulnerable poetry to outline his identity and subvert stereotypes. Breaking away from traditional narratives around the American wilderness, this film offers a cinematic last witness and a breathtaking elegy to a quickly vanishing world waiting to be reinvented.