With a voice born in the mountains and shaped by hard times, Ola Belle Reed established herself as an influential musician, singer, and songwriter of old-time mountain music. The new documentary, “I’ve Endured”: The music and legacy of Ola Belle Reed”, explores the life of this remarkable artist whose contributions have left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape. Ola Belle’s powerful voice and lyrics spoke authentically of her rural roots, and her passionate songs found a home in the folk-revival movement of the 1960s and beyond. She left an enduring legacy. In 1986 Ola Belle received a NEA National Heritage Fellowship. The Library of Congress added her 1973 album Ola Belle Reed to the National Recording Registry in 2019. Her songs have become anthems of Appalachian life, and she is widely recognized as one of the most influential bluegrass, folk and old-time musicians of all time.

The story told in "I’ve Endured" is one that resonates with themes of resilience, creativity, diversity and cultural significance. The film was produced over the last four years, weaving together archival photos, recordings and newly restored film footage of interviews and performances to present a portrait of Ola Belle, shedding light on her significance and that of the mountain culture she embodied. New interviews with those who knew her, worked with her and were influenced by her, are combined in the film to bring the past, present and future together in conversation. Production was based at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and was funded in part by Maryland Traditions and the Maryland State Arts Council.