After the Spill

Gr 7 Up—This documentary opens with hearings regarding safety negligence by BP on the Deepwater Horizon, a semisubmersible oil-drilling rig that exploded in 2010. It then contrasts several BP advertisements of its "successful cleanup" of the Gulf of Mexico with problems that persist: the underwater well still leaks oil, killing costal marshlands, whose loss in turn is accelerating coastal erosion. Tar balls remain on the ocean bed and on beaches, resurfacing during storms. Also covered are the effects of oil on the habitat (poisoning plants), wildlife (destinations for migratory birds are disappearing), the fishing industry (catches yield fewer, small fish), and people living in the area (toxic particles cause health issues). Politics comes into play as the oil and gas industry strong-arms state government to support more drilling and threatens to pull up stakes, which would result in job losses for citizens. The film closes with a reflection of the long-term hope of rebuilding the Gulf Coast marshes. Powerful interviews with Keith Jones (the father of one of the victims killed during the explosion), James Carville (a political commentator from Louisiana), and author/historian James Barry offer insights. This film hits hard on how keeping oil and gas jobs in the area is overbalancing ecology and social issues such as safe water and clean air.