The plot centers on a mining family. The time of events falls on the difficult 90s. The heroes get into a difficult life and try to find the strength to endure the trials.

Follows Ethan Bishop, an eight-year-old boy navigating a difficult time in his life that lands him on Santa’s naughty list. In response, Santa implements ‘Plan C,’ sending a legendary Lump of Coal to guide Ethan on a “ho-ho-hilarious journey.” Through a series of positive and negative experiences with the coal, Ethan discovers a life-altering artistic talent.

On the coal road linking the Shanxi mines with the large port of Tianjin, in northern China, the drivers of 100-ton trucks shuttle endlessly to and from, day and night. On the roadside: prostitutes, cops, petty racketeers, garage owners, mechanics.

On Coal River takes viewers on a gripping emotional journey into the Coal River Valley of West Virginia — a community surrounded by lush mountains and a looming toxic threat. The film follows a former coal miner and his neighbors in a David-and-Goliath struggle for the future of their valley, their children, and life as they know it.