Question: Thurmond is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, the town was the filming location for Matewan, a 1987 American drama film, written and directed by who?
Context: Belva is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in west Nicholas County and north Fayette County, West Virginia, United States; while the CDP only includes the Nicholas County portion, the Fayette County portion is considered part of the community.  The town is situated at the bottomland surrounding the convergence of Bells Creek with Twentymile Creek and, subsequently, Twenty Mile Creek with the Gauley River.  Belva is also the location of the convergence of two state highways: West Virginia Route 16 and West Virginia Route 39. Dixie is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fayette and Nicholas counties, West Virginia, United States.  Dixie is located on West Virginia Route 16 5.5 mi north of Gauley Bridge.  Dixie has a post office with ZIP code 25059.  As of the 2010 census, its population was 291, with 202 residents in Nicholas County and 89 in Fayette County. The coal towns, or "coal camps" of Fayette County, West Virginia were situated to exploit the area's rich coal seams.  Many of these towns were located in deep ravines that afforded direct access to the coal through the hillsides, allowing mined coal to be dropped or conveyed downhill to railway lines at the valley floor.  Many of these encampments were set up as company towns, and when their mines closed, the towns vanished.  A few, like Thurmond, West Virginia, have survived in a reduced state.  Fayette County covers portions of three coalfields: the New River Coalfield, the Kanawha Coalfield and the Greenbrier Coalfield.  Below is a partial list of known coal towns within the three coalfields: the New River Coalfield, the Kanawha Coalfield and the Greenbrier Coalfield.  More may be found Camp Washington-Carver Complex, also known as West Virginia 4-H Camp for Negroes, is a historic camp and national historic district located near Clifftop, Fayette County, West Virginia.  The district encompasses four contributing buildings and two contributing structures, the most notable being the Great Chestnut Lodge, a log building of unusual size and structural character.  It is the largest log structure built entirely of chestnut in West Virginia.  It was built in 1941-1942, and is a 1 1/2 story building in the form of a modified Latin cross with a gabled block (Assembly Hall) and a gabled wing or ell (Dining Hall).  Also on the property are a log cottage (1940), two frame dormitories (1942), a water tower (1940), and a small pond (1940).  The camp was established by an act of the West Virginia legislature in 1937, and developed as a project of the Works Progress Administration starting in 1939. Thurmond is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States, on the New River.  The population was five at the 2010 census.  During the heyday of coal mining in the New River Gorge, Thurmond was a prosperous town with a number of businesses and facilities for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.  The town was the filming location for John Sayles' 1987 movie "Matewan" since it still possesses many of the characteristics of a 1920s Appalachian coal town. Concho is an unincorporated community and coal town in Fayette County, West Virginia.  It was also known as Thurmond Mountain.  The name Concho is derived from the Concho River, in Texas. Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.  Fayette County is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, adjacent to Maryland and West Virginia.  As of the 2010 census, the population was 136,606.  Its county seat is Uniontown.  The county was created on September 26, 1783, from part of Westmoreland County and named after the Marquis de Lafayette. Matewan ( ) is a 1987 American drama film written and directed by John Sayles, and starring Chris Cooper (in his film debut), James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell and Will Oldham, with David Strathairn, Kevin Tighe and Gordon Clapp in supporting roles. The New River Coalfield is located in northeastern Raleigh County and southern Fayette County, West Virginia.  Commercial mining of coal began in the 1870s and thrived into the 20th century.  The coal in this field is a low volatile coal, and the seams of coal that have been mined include Sewell, Fire Creek, and Beckley.  This is very high quality bituminous coal rated at approximately 15,000 btu .  The New River coalfield is named after the north flowing New River.  Over 60 coal towns were once located there, supported by independent commercial districts at Beckley, Oak Hill, Mount Hope, and Fayetteville.  By the 21st century many coal camps had partially or completely returned to nature.  These company towns were located along Dunloup (Loup) Creek, Laurel Creek, White Oak Creek, lower Piney Creek, and, of course, the New River.  The mainline of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway ran right through the center of this coalfield, with spurs branching off in many directions, and rail yards were maintained at Quinnimont, Raleigh, and Thurmond, WV.  The Virginian Railway's main line also passed through the western side of the field as well.  Companies such as the New River Company, New River & Pocahontas Consolidated Coal Co., and Mary Frances Coal Co. were the largest operators in the New River Coalfield, but there were many smaller ones as well.  These companies recruited native born whites, immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, and African-Americans from the South to work in their coal mines and railroads.  The mines began to close down after World War II and today there are very few active coal mines in the field.  The New River Gorge is now the domain of the National Park Service and they have done what their budget allows to preserve the coal heritage of the area. Contentment, also known as the Colonel George Imboden House, is a historic home located at Ansted, Fayette County, West Virginia.  It was built about 1830 and expanded to its present configuration after its acquisition by former Confederate Colonel George W. Imboden in 1872.  The original home consisted of five rooms and a detached kitchen.  Colonel Imboden added two rooms, extended the porch, and added a gable end chimney.  Colonel Imboden, who was Ansted's first mayor, helped stimulate the growth of the town's businesses.  The Contentment Historical Complex serves as the museum and headquarters for the Fayette County Historical Society.
Answer: John Sayles