The Loneliest Road

Overview

The Loneliest Road is a documentary honoring the multi-ethnic communities that shaped the American West. It is inspired by Fresno-based author Silvio Manno's book, Charcoal and Blood, which chronicles the little-known 1879 Fish Creek Massacre in which five Italian-immigrant charcoal burners where shot dead by a sheriff's posse while striking for better wages on the burgeoning mining frontier. The film recreates Mr. Manno's road trip on Highway 50 to discover and research the complex circumstances surrounding the 19th century charcoal camps of Nevada. It examines the conditions of early mining communities, the many immigrants who shaped them, and the evolution of mining best practices.