White Lightning documentary explores Kentucky family legacy

The documentary White Lightning follows 18-year-old sprinter King Combest as he attempts to break a 25-year-old national high school track record set by his father, Casey.

The film examines the generational cycle of drugs, incarceration, and poverty within the Combest family in Kentucky. Casey, known as ‘White Lightning,’ was an elite sprinter whose Olympic prospects were ended by a marijuana arrest, leading to a life of marginalization. As King pursues his athletic goals, the narrative focuses on his efforts to become the first member of his family to earn a college degree and escape a legacy of addiction and crime.