Educational Media Reviews Online

Tar Creek is a heart-breaking documentary that carries viewers through the highs and lows of a lead and zinc mine, a mining town named Picher, and Quapaw tribal land in Oklahoma. The film highlights the emotional, financial, and physical toll uncontrolled hazardous waste sites can take on inhabitants. “This is like Rachel Carson’s nightmare today,” explained a Quapaw tribal leader in the documentary. Tar Creek was added to the National Priority Superfund List in the 1980s. The film addresses the on-going clean-up process, the millions of dollars spent, and the third and final Superfund initiative for Tar Creek.

This documentary provides a good balance of the facts and personal perspectives from local leaders, townspeople, archives, government representatives, public health officials, and tribal leaders. Many viewers could benefit from the scientific and political lessons learned as well as hearing the passionate perspectives of the communities directly impacted. Appropriate for most high school students and adult audiences, the film should be of great interest to students and advocates interested in environmental justice, public health, policy, and environmental management issues. A 90-minute 2009 version of the documentary is also available from the director for non-educational use and is therefore less expensive, but this review is for the 54-minute educational version. A 2006 Independent Lens documentary The Creek Runs Red is also available about the mining town, Picher, and the Tar Creek Superfund site, but the film documents only the first two phases of clean-up.

Awards

• 2010 Best Documentary Film, Nickel Independent Film Festival
• 2009 Director's Choice & Audience Choice, Southern Winds Film Festival