A Woman’s Work (A.R Ephraim, 2026): United States

Reviewed by Heijh Diaz. Viewed at SBIFF.

A film by first time director/writer A.R Ephraim had its premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The story centers around a coal miner in her twenties living in Kentucky, as she tries to take care of her two younger sisters, showcasing the sacrifices one makes in order to try to create a better future for their loved ones. This character-driven film relies on what is unsaid, but rather shown. The dynamic between the three sisters are realistic and funny, with cutting moments of their somber reality brought back to life by their reactions to one-off jokes. Love is a thread that ties the film together, the dichotomy between the younger sisters’ blinding love, wanting to parade it for the world to see, and Jolene’s love that she knows to keep private in order to keep her family safe. Yearning also follows each of the sisters, in many different ways, as they try to imagine futures for themselves while always centering the family as a whole. A large reason this is the case, is because this is really all they have. Both parents passed away due to the opioid epidemic, so they rely on one another completely. Most of this pressure is specifically on the head of the house, Jolene. As the oldest sister, she makes her living through coal mining, a widely known as a male dominated industry, but this story flips the idea around, and focuses on how a woman navigates this world. Some things explored along with this are the long term consequences that come from coal mining, and the generational pride it carries. It is not the greatest work to the naked eye, but it is noble and holds a lot of respect in this part of Kentucky.

The story at its root is one of community, how each person carries each other through their circumstances, and the doors that open when you let someone in. The relationships are the backbone of this film, southern hospitality is on full display, and the care each character has for each other can be felt through the screen. Yet, during the early 2000s, when this film is set, political progressiveness was mostly unheard-of in Kentucky, so some folks may not be ready to make the leap of vulnerability in order to give them a future that they envision. It is this part of the film that sticks with me. Sometimes, sacrifice is a thankless job, one that is admired, but largely unnoticed. The hero story doesn’t always end with applause and a grand gesture. It is done not out of a need for recognition, but rather an act of love for the people surrounding them. The irony is in the decision though, what an act to show that much love for others, while not being able to lend the same to yourself. This is the crux of it all, wanting to see a future for others, while also feeling like this future is impossible without denying yourself your own. All of these nuances are explored in the film, accumulating to a story that is specific in its details, but universal in its message.