Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In early 20th century midwest USA, deep underground, a group of coal miners make an incredible discovery.
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Mine! by Louis Morton
louisjmorton.com/Mine-Short-Film
"The original idea came from a short story my great-grandpa had written about his dad, who worked in an Illinois coal mine. He describes the tedious details and dangerous conditions of the daily work of the miners. But at the end of the day, it was better than other jobs because the miners got to be their own bosses and had a sense of ownership over their space, which they called ‘rooms’. I was interested in this idea of ownership and the visual aesthetic of the mine. So the title is meant to have a double meaning in this way. I started boarding various scenes of coal miners working but I wasn’t sure where to take it.
Then I read the book Coal: A Human History by Barbara Freese and there was a section about how the miners would sometimes befriend rats underground. I loved the image of big tough miner guys cuddling with rats. And the rats became a way of representing the ambivalence of nature. Another idea came from this photo of the founders of a small South Dakota ghost town posing on a hotel balcony. I imagined them as various mine owners posing for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the story just kinda clicked into place from there."
🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Mine! with our exclusive interview with writer/director Louis Morton
directorsnotes.com/2026/03/12/louis-morton-mine
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// Credits //
Writer/Director/Animator: Louis Morton
Sound Designer/Composer: Katie Gately
ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.
#animation #mine #LouisMorton #miners #coal #environment #shortfilm
In early 20th century midwest USA, deep underground, a group of coal miners make an incredible discovery.
🔔 Love indie films? SUBSCRIBE to Directors Notes for more trailblazing shorts: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes
🎥 Want to see your film here? Submit your work to Directors Notes: directorsnotes.com/submit
Mine! by Louis Morton
louisjmorton.com/Mine-Short-Film
"The original idea came from a short story my great-grandpa had written about his dad, who worked in an Illinois coal mine. He describes the tedious details and dangerous conditions of the daily work of the miners. But at the end of the day, it was better than other jobs because the miners got to be their own bosses and had a sense of ownership over their space, which they called ‘rooms’. I was interested in this idea of ownership and the visual aesthetic of the mine. So the title is meant to have a double meaning in this way. I started boarding various scenes of coal miners working but I wasn’t sure where to take it.
Then I read the book Coal: A Human History by Barbara Freese and there was a section about how the miners would sometimes befriend rats underground. I loved the image of big tough miner guys cuddling with rats. And the rats became a way of representing the ambivalence of nature. Another idea came from this photo of the founders of a small South Dakota ghost town posing on a hotel balcony. I imagined them as various mine owners posing for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the story just kinda clicked into place from there."
🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Mine! with our exclusive interview with writer/director Louis Morton
directorsnotes.com/2026/03/12/louis-morton-mine
👉 Follow Us for More Short Film Greatness:
Newsletter: directorsnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Instagram: instagram.com/directorsnotes
Podcast: pod.link/192507317
// Credits //
Writer/Director/Animator: Louis Morton
Sound Designer/Composer: Katie Gately
ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.
#animation #mine #LouisMorton #miners #coal #environment #shortfilm
