Hansel and Gretel: An Appalachian Version (1975)

“Hansel and Gretel,” set in Southern Appalachia during the Great Depression, focuses on how children’s inner resources and mutual loyalty can help them deal with their fears. The story is about a young brother and sister. Their family is so poor that their stepmother persuades their father to leave the children out in the woods to starve. At first Hansel is able to foil this plan and the children return home. But the second time, they are lost in the forest. They are captured by a witch, and she decides to eat Hansel. Gretel defeats the witch by turning the tables on her, and then frees Hansel. When the children return home, they find that their stepmother has left, and they are happily reunited with their father.

Narrated by filmmaker Tom Davenport.