Buffalo Creek Revisited (Film)

Buffalo Creek Revisited

  •  Mimi Pickering
  •  1984
  • Color IconColor
  •  31:00
  •  16 mm
Film Description
Filmed ten years after the flood, Buffalo Creek Revisited looks at the second disaster on Buffalo Creek, in which the survivors’ efforts to rebuild the communities shattered by the flood are thwarted by government insensitivity and a century-old pattern of corporate control of the region’s land and resources. Through the statements of survivors, planners, politicians, psychologists, and community activists, the film explores the psychology of disaster, the importance of community, and the paradox of a poor people living in a rich land.

Screenings & Festivals
  • Athens International Film Festival
  • National Housing Video and Film Festival
  • Sinking Creek Film Festival
  • Women in the Director's Chair


This film was preserved by Appalshop Archive with support from the National Film Preservation Foundation, the Women's Film Preservation Fund, and the National Endowment for the Arts. To support the work of preserving and safeguarding the collections, please consider designating a donation to Appalshop Archive.


Reviews

“Captures in gripping detail how the effects of a disaster like the Buffalo Creek flood can continue to haunt the sturdiest of people even years later.” — Yale University
“A valuable teaching tool for discussions of the importance of land and community in Appalachia, the power and arrogance of the coal industry, and the insensitivity of government bureaucracy.” — Emory and Henry College
“A powerful and sensitive treatment of a lingering human tragedy.” — Library Journal
“An eye-opening revelation.” — Booklist