A revealing documentary takes viewers inside one of the poorest regions in the United States, where drug addiction, suicide and incest are just some of the complaints among locals.
YouTube creator Drew Binksy set out on a road trip through West Virginia and, In a movie Documenting his 24-hour journey, he explains that it is a place where “the collapse of the coal industry left behind ghost towns and broken dreams.”
He also notes that “methamphetamine and fentanyl addictions are widespread” in the state, while many people “live so isolated that they have their own dialect.”
The content creator begins his journey in Bluefield and as he wanders around the once-thriving manufacturing town, he says he feels like he’s entered “a forgotten world.”
And he continues: “Empty streets and closed shops stretch as far as the eye can see. It’s as if life has stopped.”
YouTube creator Drew Binksy set out on a road trip through West Virginia. Above, exploring the town of Bluefield
In a film documenting his 24-hour journey, he explains that the region is a place where “the collapse of the coal industry left ghost towns and broken dreams.”
Drew eventually finds a local man to talk to, but is met with a depressing story about excessive drug use in the area due to “lack of things to do” and “a lot of mental health issues.”
Continuing on his way, Drew passes through several eerie ghost towns and picturesque areas in the lush countryside before arriving at the town of Welch.
As the narrator of his documentary, he gives viewers some background on the community. He explains: “In the 1920s, it was the most prosperous mining town in the United States, but sadly only 1,600 people remain.
‘The majority (of residents) live below the poverty line and life expectancy is well below the national average.
“Many families rely on government assistance simply to survive and access to health care is limited.”
To top it off, Drew reveals that schools in the area are “underfunded” and “many young people leave as soon as they can in search of better opportunities elsewhere.”
For starters, the filmmaker believes Welch is as “boring” and “unwelcoming” as other towns in the area.
However, when he crosses paths with locals Dave and Tessa, his opinion of the place gradually changes.
Dave and Tessa, who recently started dating after meeting on a bus, agree to take Drew (center) on a tour of the area. Above, the trio at a roadside diner
In one scene, Tessa drives past an apartment complex where she used to live and explains that she’s glad she doesn’t live there anymore, as she witnessed several deaths.
The couple, who recently started dating after meeting on a bus, agree to take Drew on a tour of the area.
In one scene, Tessa walks past an apartment complex where she used to live and sees…He explains that she is glad she no longer lives there, as she witnessed several deaths.
She tells Drew: ‘I lived there for four and a half years and there have been multiple suicides since I’ve lived in that building… people jumping out of windows, overdoses.’
Although Tessa was born and raised in West Virginia, Dave reveals that he moved to Welch about eight years ago because the properties were some of the cheapest he could find.
He says he has also had a number of problems during that time, including having his water supply cut off for six months.
Fortunately, there are freshwater springs in the area where people can collect drinking water.
Like Tessa, Dave reveals that he has also witnessed untimely deaths and lost friends in the neighborhood due to drug overdoses and fentanyl poisoning.
In another scene, the trio meets a local named Ruben. The black retiree reveals that he has lived there for 34 years.
Like Tessa, Dave reveals that he has also witnessed untimely deaths and lost friends in the neighborhood due to drug overdoses and fentanyl poisoning.
In another scene, the trio meets a local named Ruben.
The black pensioner reveals that he has been living there for 34 years and that his mother was from the area.
Drew is welcomed into his simple home where there is no running water or electricity.
Ruben explains that he is going to get water from a spring to wash himself, while using a torch for light and a propane heater to keep warm.
After saying goodbye to long-time resident Drew, Dave and Tessa continue on their way.
At a crossroads they come across a man in his thirties covered in coal dust.
The man explains that he recently started working in one of the local mines.
When asked more about his job, the man reveals that he works underground 10 to 11 hours a day (or 60 hours a week) and earns up to $3,900 every two weeks.
In Jolo, the trio find more locals to talk to during a trip to the town’s grocery store.
At a crossroads they meet a man in his 30s covered in coal dust. The man explains that he recently started working in one of the local mines.
While it is a dirty job, he says it is one of the best-paid jobs and the companies he has worked for have treated him well.
The man reveals that he has returned to work after going to prison for robbery and attending rehab for fentanyl addiction.
He shows Drew a photo of himself during the height of his addiction, with chronic wounds on his arms around the injection sites.
After thanking the miner for sharing his story, Drew and his new friends stop for a pulled pork sandwich at a roadside diner before heading to a small community called Jolo.
The trio find more locals to talk to during a trip to the town’s grocery store.
During the conversations, they learn that drugs are a major problem, that teachers are in short supply, and that incest is another problem.
A woman in the store tells the camera crew: ‘We are the poorest county in the United States, or we were.
‘About 30 percent of our community are drug addicts, drug addicts… more than 30 percent!’
Meanwhile, a man in the store reveals that the population is steadily declining as younger people leave in search of “entertainment” and work.
Outside the store, while talking to two local men, Drew brings up the topic of incest and one of the men says he’s had to deal with it within his own family.
Dave also confirms that it’s a common problem in the area. Recounting an anecdote, he says: “I had a really good friend who was screwing his half-sister… I was like, ‘What!'”
After a day of exploring the heart of West Virginia, Drew says goodbye to Dave and Tessa and thanks them for their company.
To conclude his documentary, the YouTube creator concludes: ‘I arrived in the poorest county in America not knowing what kind of people I would find.
‘But this little corner of West Virginia is more than its abandoned coal mines and quiet streets… it’s a place with warm smiles, a unique culture and stunning nature.’
