Down in Number 5 Trailer (2009)

Trailer for the dramatic short Down in Number 5.

Down in Number 5 is the story Carl Short, a terminally ill coal miner, who seeks refuge for his developmentally disabled son Sammy.

Carl suffers from black lung, and when money from a class action lawsuit fails to materialize, he realizes his options are running out. Who will take care of Sammy after he is gone? Carl turns to Raymond Atkins, Sammy’s childhood friend and protector. But Raymond is now a middle-aged, single father overwhelmed by his own problems.

Rooted in the Southern Gothic storytelling tradition, Down in Number 5 is a tender portrait of a man pushed to his limits for the love of his son and a haunting rumination on family and community in Appalachia. Based on a true story.