By Jordan Howes, Communications Coordinator, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy

Award-winning filmmaker Julia Huffman will return to her family’s Appalachian roots this month for a special screening of her newest documentary, Mother Daughter Earth, on Sunday Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. at the Pocahontas County Opera House. The film, a deeply personal exploration of memory, nature, and legacy, reflects Huffman’s relationship with her mother, Beth Little, a former West Virginia Highlands Conservancy board member — and the enduring influence of Appalachia on their lives.

Over the past 25 years, Huffman’s visits home inspired the film’s evolution. “My mother turned 84 this year and the days began to feel fleeting, so I decided to tell the story of her remarkable life,” Huffman said. “She was one of the early female computer programmers in Los Angeles, who left it all to live much like a pioneer woman in the country. While working on the story, I realized that when we tell our mothers’ stories, we inevitably learn more about ourselves.”

Huffman’s new work serves as both a tribute to her mother and a meditation on the ties that connect people to one another and to the land. “This film is for mothers, daughters, adoptees, people with aging parents, nature lovers, and everyone in between,” she said. “It is ultimately a love letter to mothers and daughters and to the Appalachian Mountains.”

Huffman is best known for her critically acclaimed documentary Medicine of the Wolf, which won the Grand Jury Award at the Arizona International Film Festival and Best of Fest at the Minneapolis International Film Festival. Her work has been endorsed by renowned conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall and artists including James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, and Graham Nash. In addition to her film work, Huffman has collaborated with organizations such as the Sierra Club and spoken at TEDx Fargo on the importance of apex predators.

Through Mother Daughter Earth, Huffman continues her lifelong dedication to environmental storytelling. “My hope is that stories about the positive influence that many folks like my mother brought to Appalachia in the 1970s are not forgotten,” Huffman said. “Her legacy of earth stewardship and her deep affection for both the people and the Appalachian Mountains deserve to be remembered.”

She cites author and botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer as an inspiration for the film’s core message:

“Knowing that you love the earth changes you and activates you to protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that transforms that relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.”

Huffman’s interview with WVMR is scheduled for the week of November 17, and a feature will also appear in The Pocahontas Times. 

For updates and information on how to attend the screening, follow the Pocahontas County Opera House and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy on social media.