Curator
— Amity Doolittle, Senior Lecturer and Research Scientist, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Black Tide: Voices from the Gulf
* New film added Fall 2020 *
Award-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger tracks the lives of Louisiana residents living in the aftermath of the largest offshore oil spill in American history.

Curator:
This film was selected by Amity Doolittle, Senior Lecturer at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Why I selected this film
Even though coverage on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill eventually faded from national news media, local residents continue to feel the impact individually, economically, and environmentally one year later. The film highlights the need for local communities to continue fighting for justice through political action to continue the cleanup, revive the economy, mitigate damage to flora and fauna, and gather scientific information to better quantify the impact of future similar disasters. The film reminds viewers that disasters of this size and scale harm local communities in a multitude of ways that may not be visible, and that without sustained action to hold oil companies accountable, environmental justice is hard to achieve.
Teacher's guide
Please see the teacher's guide for maps, background information, suggested subjects, questions and activities.
Synopsis
One year after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, the coastal communities of Grand Isle, Louisiana had still not recovered from the devastating effects wrought by the 200 million gallons of oil spilled following the explosion. Documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger traveled across the Louisiana coast interviewing local fishers, restaurant owners, marine scientists, and British Petroleum (BP) representatives to find out how they dealt with the cleanup. The departure of news media in the months after the initial explosion left coastal Louisianans to quietly rebuild their lives. Berlinger’s documentary provides critical insight into a story of recovery in the wake of the disaster.
The environmental justice focus of the film
The Louisiana fishers, business owners, and communities whose livelihoods depend on coastal resources like shellfish, bivalves, and fish were hit hard by an environmental disaster in which they played no part. Although they received some financial settlements, many aspects of their livelihoods, like the loss of fishing culture and community, were not accounted for. By focusing on the spill’s broad impact on the local communities, the film highlights the efforts of residents who are fighting for environmental justice in the wake of an environmental catastrophe.
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Citation
Main credits
Heyman, Jay (film producer)
Heyman, Jay (film director)
Berlinger, Joe (film director)
Other credits
Director of photography, Bob Richman; editor, Gabriel Rhodes; music, APM [and 7 others].
Distributor credits
Jay Heyman, Joe Berlinger, Jon Kamen, Robert Friedman, Justin Wilke
Berlinger,Joe
Directed by
Joe Berlinger |
Produced by
Joe Berlinger | ... | co-executive producer |
Jon Doran | ... | story producer |
Sara Enright | ... | co-producer |
Robert Friedman | ... | executive producer |
Elyssa Hess | ... | associate producer |
Jay Heyman | ... | producer |
Jon Kamen | ... | executive producer |
Patrick Keegan | ... | associate producer |
Lisa Bosak Lucas | ... | executive producer |
Stephanie Wang-Breal | ... | story producer |
Justin Wilkes | ... | executive producer |
Cinematography by
Robert Richman | ... | director of photography |
Film Editing by
Edward A. Bishop | ... | additional editor (as Edward Bishop) |
Mike Long | ... | lead editor |
Gabriel Rhodes |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jay Heyman | ... | second unit director |
Sound Department
Dan Flosdorf | ... | re-recording mixer |
Michael Jones | ... | sound recordist |
Eric Ledet | ... | sound recordist |
Greg Linton | ... | additional sound mixer |
Editorial Department
Edward A. Bishop | ... | additional editor (as Edward Bishop) |
Christopher Green | ... | assistant editor |
Eden Mackenzie | ... | assistant editor |
Jerome Raim | ... | lead assistant editor |
Timothy Ziegler | ... | colorist |
Additional Crew
Jaffari Barnard | ... | production assistant |
Donnie Boheim | ... | production coordinator |
Kelsey Field | ... | production assistant |
Joshua VanBuskirk | ... | production assistant |
Justin Walters | ... | production assistant |
Docuseek2 subjects
Food
North American Studies
Business, Labor and Economics
Business Ethics
Corporate Social Responsibility
Labor Studies
Environmental Law
Government Policy
Environment
Estuaries
Oceans and Coasts
Conservation and Protection
Environmental Justice
Environmentalists
Habitat Destruction
Pollution
Toxic Chemicals
Water
Geography
Critical Thinking
Ethics
Animals and Animal Rights
Community
Sociology
Distributor subjects
Fishing
Habitat Loss
Human Rights
Labour Studies
North American Studies
Rivers
Water
Corporate Social Responsibility,North American Studies,Environmental Justice,Oceans and Coasts,Fishing,Public Health,Habitat Loss,Labor Studies,Activism,Pollution,Climate Change,Environmental Disasters,Non-renewable Resources,Mining & Resource Extraction,Energy Policy,Oceanography,marine science,
Keywords
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