“Papertown,” a documentary directed by Jeremy Seifert (“Sacred Planet: The Heart of the World”, “The Devil We Know”) and Co-Directed by Benjamin James Roberts is set to premiere at the MountainFilm Festival on May 22.
The documentary chronicles the sudden closure of a century-old paper mill in the Appalachian town of Canton, North Carolina, shattering the town’s economy and forcing its people to confront the loss—and rediscovery—of their shared identity.
Musician Dave Matthews has written an original song for the doc titled “Papertown.” The song features vocals by Sierra Ferrell and Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek plays the fiddle.
“The movie is stunning. It’s heartbreaking, but still so hopeful. It’s full of hope, in spite of this class system where the power sits in the hands of far away people, which is so wrong,” said Matthews.
According to the logline, when the 115-year-old paper mill that defined Canton, North Carolina, unexpectedly announced it would shut down, it set off three turbulent months that would gut the town’s economy and shake its identity. This documentary moves with the community in real time, from the shock of the announcement to the mill’s final whistle. As details emerge of executives profiting from stock trades just days before the news, anger and betrayal deepen, and confusion and heartbreak occur as rumors spread and questions go unanswered.
Seifert said, “We threw ourselves into this story, documenting the experience of the paper mill workers and the community just days after they found out the mill was closing.” He added, “It was our community of local filmmakers fueled by a shared belief that this chapter in Appalachian history mattered. It’s a story about the people and community and I can’t wait to share it with the world.”
The film is made possible with support from The Ford Foundation, Catapult Film Fund, and Mountainfilm and is produced by Chris Pruett, Seifert and Colby Sexton. Ryan Suffern serves as executive producer.
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