Watch National Geographic’s Coal Industry Documentary for Free Until July 3
21st Century Fox Social Impact
From June 26 until July 3, audiences can watch From the Ashes, National Geographic’s new feature documentary about the coal industry, for free on YouTube, Amazon, Facebook, and several more streaming services. The documentary, from Emmy-nominated director Michael Bonfiglio, examines how the coal industry affects life on the planet, as well as how communities across America continue to address its legacy. National Geographic initially broadcast From the Ashes on June 25 and will continue to roll the film out globally across 171 countries and 45 languages.
“From the Ashes is more relevant than ever. The film explores the complexities of the coal industry and its impact on the environment, economy and public health,” said Tim Pastore, president of original programming and production for National Geographic channels. “At National Geographic, we are committed to furthering the national dialogue on clean energy and are thrilled to make From the Ashes available for free across such a wide array of streaming platforms.”
Viewers can watch From the Ashes on Natgeotv.com and all Nat Geo TV Apps across iOS and Android devices, Apple TV, Roku, and Samsung Connected TVs. A commercial-free version is available to stream on YouTube, Facebook, Hulu, Amazon, Google Play, and VOD.
The documentary convenes coal miners, renewable energy leaders, politicians, public health experts, activists, and more to explore every side of the coal industry debate, from the impact of burning coal on climate change to the economic challenges facing communities that rely on the coal industry for jobs. In an interview with National Geographic, Bonfiglio spoke about his efforts to de-politicize these issues and present them fairly and informatively.
“Our approach was really to try and remove some of the inherent partisan and polarizing nature of the subject matter,” he said. “We just drew information in, looking at multiple sides of a story, trying to provide people with information and facts they probably haven't thought about… And I do hope that [the film] will offer a starting point to talk about some of these issues.”
From the Ashes initially premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival and has since launched a CrowdRise campaign to support organizations working to diversify economies in regions affected by the coal industry’s decline. Bloomberg Philanthropies, a partner on the film, will match all donations up to $3 million and has also organized a worldwide screening tour, including screenings in Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, San Francisco, Vancouver, Washington, Brussels, London, Mexico City, and Paris. The film has also screened at more than 200 colleges and universities throughout the U.S.
