In the Eastern sprawl of the rural, Midwestern state of Kentucky, it is often said that it’s residents feel less American than Appalachian. Reeling from the effects of an economic downturn following the decline of the coal industry, mines that used to employ thousands sit empty across a wild, rolling landscape. Those remaining in the area are often referred to disparagingly as “hillbillies”, a mountain-dwelling working class caught between a mythical past and an indiscernible future.

Brian Ritchie, a local worker and loving father-of-four, unexpectedly met directors Diane Sara Bouzgarrou & Thomas Jenkoe at a diner in 2013, when the pair were passing through on a road trip. An amusing conversation progressed to a seven-year friendship and a gradually opening door to an altogether different world, through which Brian, a humane and passionate narrator, acts as an intimate guide. For Brian, “hillbilly” is a provocation to be proud of, regularly using the loaded term to outline his identity and subvert stereotypes.

Split into three distinct chapters, ‘The Last Hillbilly’ begins by exploring the importance of family, especially for those who have remained steadfast in the region, despite its struggles. From here, Brian earnestly reflects on his position between worlds, displaying an inquisitive sensibility that is as comfortable questioning tradition as embracing it. In its concluding chapter, the film focuses on Brian’s children, finding new energy in their naivety and optimism. Seemingly attuned to the uncertainty of their futures, they have nonetheless inherited their Father’s distinct emotional intelligence.

Shot in unusual 1.33 format and accompanied by an ominous soundtrack from Philladephian noise musician Jay Gambit, itself a novel blend of field recordings and adaptations of traditional Appalachian folk instruments, ‘The Last Hillbilly’ confidently seeks to break away from traditional narratives around the American wilderness. In its place, the verite style of Bouzgarro and Jenkoe meets Ritchie’s affirming, vulnerable poetry to offer a cinematic last witness to a quickly vanishing world waiting to be reinvented.