Bonecrusher Trailer (2009)

Trailer for the documentary Bonecrusher.

In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, a young coal miner named Lucas Chaffin toils one mile underground. Despite the harsh working conditions, Lucas takes fierce pride in the fact that hes carrying on a family tradition. As a fourth-generation miner, working inside the earth is more than just a job to Lucas. He believes its his duty; a responsibility symbolized by the old coal hammer that he uses. It is the same hammer that was used for 26 years by the man he loves more than anything: his father, Luther Chaffin.

Luther—nicknamed Bonecrusher — was once a strong, handsome man. But now, at 61, hes withered and sick; coal dust has ravaged his lungs. As life slips away, his greatest concern isn't for himself; it's for Lucas's safety.

Bonecrusher is an intimate account of the love between a father and son and the powerful bond they share, a bond that is put to the test. It is also a stark journey to the coal fields of Dante, Virginia where a tight-knit community of miners face life with a toughness and camaraderie as enduring as the earth itself.