Directed by: Mimi Pickering
1975
Running Time: 40:00
B/W
On February 26, 1972, a coal-waste dam owned by the Pittston Company collapsed at the head of a crowded hollow in southern West Virginia. A wall of sludge, debris, and water tore through the valley below, leaving in its wake 125 dead and 4,000 homeless. Interviews with survivors, representatives of union and citizen’s groups, and officials of the Pittston Company are juxtaposed with actual footage of the flood and scenes of the ensuing devastation. As reasons for the disaster are sought out and examined, evidence mounts that company officials knew of the hazard in advance of the flood, and that the dam was in violation of state and federal regulations. The Pittston Company, however, continued to deny any wrongdoing, maintaining that the disaster was an ’an act of God.’
Reviews
"A devastating expose of the collusion between state officials and coal executives... a powerful piece of muckraking on film." -Newsweek
"Outstanding! A very powerful film." -Dr. Parker Marden, Professor of Sociology, St. Lawrence University
"Very accurately reflects the despair and frustration of a community caught in a web of corporate red tape... an excellent instructional vehicle for studies in sociology, business, psychology, and government." -Media Digest
"Admirable for its ability to strike a balance between emotion and analysis, the film speaks to us on the human level of universal loss and suffering. But it is also a political film that reflects the decades of abuse and frustration experienced by miners and their families." -Andrew Horton, Film Quarterly
"This film is recommended." -Educational Film Library Association
Screenings & Festivals
American Film Festival--Finalist
Chicago International Film Festival--Silver Plaque
Museum of Modern Art
National Film Theatre, British Film Institute
Projections of the South: Folklore
Click Here to visit the official Buffalo Creek Flood Web Site.
