Deep Roots, Dark Earth: Freemining in the Forest of Dean

Top 4 Billed Cast

Dan Howell
Dan Howell

Himself

Mike Howell
Mike Howell

Himself

Phil Schwarz
Phil Schwarz

Himself

Lawrence Shaw
Lawrence Shaw

Himself

Loading Trailer Videos...
  • HomePage

  • Overview

    For centuries, freeminers have held the right to mine coal anywhere within the Forest of Dean. To become a freeminer, one must be over 21, born within the hundred of St Briavels, and have worked underground for a year and a day. Today, Forestry England administers the mining tradition, with only a few freeminers still venturing underground in search of the elusive ‘black gold,’ helping to keep this unique heritage alive. This short documentary offers a rare glimpse into the lives of those most connected to this fascinating practice. Through their eyes, we explore the dark depths beneath the ancient forest floor and uncover an enduring way of life.

  • Release Date

  • Average

    0

  • Rating:

    0.0 starts
  • Tagline

  • Genres

  • Languages:

  • Keywords

Similar Movies

Sonaggios
0%

Sonaggios(en)

2025-04-27

In the Sardinian town of Tonara, where the ancient art of crafting cowbells teeters on the edge of extinction, a family battles to preserve their heritage, passing down skills to a new generation while grappling with personal struggles and the pull of modernity. English subtitles.

Broken Rainbow
58%

Broken Rainbow(en)

1985-05-05

Documentary chronicling the government relocation of 10,000 Navajo Indians in Arizona.

Profils paysans : l'approche
74%

Profils paysans : l'approche(fr)

2001-05-09

The first of a documentary serie about rural France.

Thatcher vs The Miners: The Battle for Britain
0%

Thatcher vs The Miners: The Battle for Britain(en)

2021-05-31

On the 5th of March 1985, a crowd gathered in a South Yorkshire pit village to watch a sight none of them had seen in a year. The villagers, many of them in tears, cheered and clapped as the men of Grimethorpe Colliery marched back to work accompanied by the village’s world-famous brass band. The miners and their families had endured months of hardship. It had all been for nothing. The miners had lost the strike called on March 6th 1984. They would lose a lot more in the years to come. But was it a good thing for the country that the miners lost their last battle?

Ghuza da Sher
0%

Ghuza da Sher(en)

The story of Nisar Ahmed Khan, told through his children and the people he served, a spiritual guide whose followers still visit his tomb on his birth and death anniversaries. And alongside how his family spends a few days at the village keeping his traditions alive.

I'm Khoisan, not Coloured
0%

I'm Khoisan, not Coloured(en)

2021-10-14

During his stay in Cape Town as a film student, Shatho Tibone was inspired by an initial casual trip he took to the scenic but informal settlement of Hangberg. This film focuses on the uncertainties and inhumane acts of police and state brutality faced by the predominantly Rastafarian, KhoiSan identifying community of Hangberg in Cape Town, South Africa. So, through the participatory collective effort of a few journalists, filmmaker and community leaders Shatho went on a 5 year journey to document the story of this community which has become an enigma in South African imagination,

Hymn from the Hive
60%

Hymn from the Hive(en)

2021-09-11

A house. A shelter. A man the last one left in the homeland. A woman returns to her community every year. The daughters and husband who have lost all traditions. A rapper who raps in the old language. In 1990 Susanna marries Udo. Their wedding is the last one celebrated between two Saxons in their village. After that the couple emigrated like half a million of Transylvanian Saxons. After 30 years in Germany the relationship between Susi and Udo has gone stale and they haven't taught their native language to their daughters that feel just German. Georg on the other hand is proud of his identity. He hopes with his rap to spread the young generations about the heritage to make them proud of being a Saxon. This is the choral story of a family who is learning to change in order not to disappear.

The Miners' Strike and Me
0%

The Miners' Strike and Me(en)

2014-03-12

Documentary marking the 30th anniversary of the 1984 miners' strike, one of the bitterest industrial disputes in British history, with stories from both sides of the conflict.

In Memory of the Land and People
0%

In Memory of the Land and People(en)

1977-01-01

“…It is a film that tells in hurried film sequences and a resonant musical score juxtaposing the sublime, funereal despair of Bartok agains tthe gut-bare tones of folk music. Gates has through his filming technique and meticulously selected mining sites, captured all the outrage and sorrow and indignity to the land and its people that strip mining represents. The film is one that all Americans should see, for it shows extremely well the price we have to pay for strip mined coal.” - Dale A. Burk, The Montana “Missoulian”

Iron and Steel Supply of the World
0%

Iron and Steel Supply of the World(en)

1947-09-01

Time-travel to a 1940s classroom with this exemplary educational film.

La Buena Vida - The Good Life
72%

La Buena Vida - The Good Life(de)

2015-01-21

The village of Tamaquito lies deep in the forests of Colombia. Here, nature provides the people with everything they need. But the Wayúu community's way of life is being destroyed by the vast and rapidly growing El Cerrejón coal mine. Determined to save his community from forced resettlement, the leader Jairo Fuentes negotiates with the mine's operators, which soon becomes a fight to survive.

Broken Palace
90%

Broken Palace(en)

2014-09-29

A short documentary about the rapidly disappearing era of heritage movie palaces and the film going experience once offered within those hallowed walls.

Coal Face
63%

Coal Face(en)

1935-06-03

1935 documentary about the hard working life of Welsh coal miners.

Scenes from the Blackjewel Miners Blockade
0%

Scenes from the Blackjewel Miners Blockade(en)

2020-01-30

In July of 2019 the Blackjewel coal company announced it was declaring bankruptcy. Miners were told to stop working mid shift, and their last paychecks bounced. The miners retaliated by blocking a train full of coal, camping out on the coal tracks for weeks. Queer regional organizers made their way to the encampment to support the miners. The encampment became a place for community gathering and mutual aid distribution. Sarah Moyer, a film maker living in Kentucky, also made their way to the encampment and filmed this short documentary on the blockade. (Summary from Queer Appalachia)

Shenandoah
66%

Shenandoah(en)

2012-10-16

An epic feature documentary about a coal mining town with a fiery immigrant heritage, once pivotal in fueling America’s industrial revolution and today in decline and struggling to survive and retain its identity, soul and values – all of which were dramatically challenged when four of the town’s white, star football players were charged in the beating death of an undocumented Mexican immigrant named Luis Ramirez. Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer David Turnley’s most personal work, SHENANDOAH creates a deeply felt portrait of a working class community, and the American Dream on trial.

Once We Were Pitmen
80%

Once We Were Pitmen(de)

2023-05-10

Black dust, shrill metallic noises, dark tunnels, muscular bodies – all that is the past. At the end of 2018, extraction of coal throughout Germany came to an end. That same year, the voices of the emerging climate protest movement Fridays for Future grew louder. Against the backdrop of these media and socio-political events, the film follows five miners on their tragic, humorous and heartwarming search for a new role in life.

Sand compass
0%

Sand compass(es)

2007-12-07

A Crew of Mexican filmmakers decide to cross the world to go in search of a nomad who would guide them in the sea of sand, to find the cave of the djina (a devil) but on the way they find an exiled country, that asks for help them to spread there existence and find a way to prevent that the organizations of United Nations and NGOS do not forget them. It is a history full of magic and feeling, wrapped in the colouring landscapes of the great desert of the Sahara. Among the liberated territories there are 10 million mines, temperatures of up to 60 ° c and little food to testify the wealths of a great people there culture, traditions, tragedy and there similarities with the rest of us.

Leaning on the tree
0%

Leaning on the tree(xx)

2025-01-29

An apocalyptic sound of roaring machines incessantly intrudes into the habitats of man and nature. Barren landscapes and deserted villages linger in hypnotic restlessness. A self-destructive system meets resistance.

The Kingdom of Fun
0%

The Kingdom of Fun(en)

1989-01-19

The largest leisure and shopping complex in Europe, the Metro Centre in Tynemouth, and its creator John Hall.

Which Side Are You On?
66%

Which Side Are You On?(en)

1985-04-08

The documentary features the British miners and their family experiences told through songs, poems, pictures and words.

Recommendations Movies

The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button
70%

The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button(en)

2009-05-05

A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.

Being James Bond
78%

Being James Bond(en)

2021-08-29

Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return
68%

Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return(en)

2022-09-07

This special explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the screen, as well as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their classic roles. Director Deborah Chow leads the cast and crew as they create new heroes and villains that live alongside new incarnations of beloved Star Wars characters, and an epic story that dramatically bridges the saga films.

A Plastic Ocean
75%

A Plastic Ocean(en)

2016-09-22

A documentary focused on plastic pollution in the world's oceans.

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin
69%

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin(en)

2003-05-01

Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.

Downloaded
65%

Downloaded(en)

2013-06-20

A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me
61%

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me(en)

2023-05-16

From the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.

The Walking Dead: The Return
73%

The Walking Dead: The Return(en)

2024-02-15

Stars of "The Walking Dead," Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, walk down memory lane and visit iconic locations where pivotal moments between their characters, Rick and Michonne, were filmed.

Harry Potter: The Making of Diagon Alley
75%

Harry Potter: The Making of Diagon Alley(en)

2014-06-30

An inside look into the creation of Universal Studio's Diagon Alley attraction.

For the Love of Spock
74%

For the Love of Spock(en)

2016-09-09

The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
76%

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty(en)

2000-11-05

A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.

Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner
78%

Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner(en)

2007-12-18

The definitive 3½-hour documentary about the troubled creation and enduring legacy of the science fiction classic 'Blade Runner', culled from 80 interviews and hours of never-before-seen outtakes and lost footage.

One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5
73%

One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5(en)

2026-01-11

An inside look at the years of effort and craft that went into the final installment of the Duffer Brothers' generation-defining series.

The Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends
71%

The Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends(en)

2019-12-10

This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.

Above Majestic
74%

Above Majestic(en)

2018-10-30

A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.

I Am Heath Ledger
74%

I Am Heath Ledger(en)

2017-04-23

The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
75%

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story(en)

2025-06-20

The authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors alongside Steven Spielberg, top shark scientists, and conservationists, the film uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos and how the film launched the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.

Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home
68%

Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home(en)

2022-05-03

JB Smoove and Martin Starr host a celebration of 20 years of "Spider-Man" movies, from the Sam Raimi trilogy to Marc Webb's movies and the trio from Jon Watts.

The Skywalker Legacy
78%

The Skywalker Legacy(en)

2020-03-18

The story lives forever in this feature-length documentary that charts the making of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Gilbert
67%

Gilbert(en)

2017-04-20

The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.