ᏗᏂᏠᎯ ᎤᏪᏯ (Meet Me at the Creek)
In order to revitalize cultural traditions, a Cherokee elder fights to restore the “irreversibly damaged” Tar Creek.
Interview with Director/Producer Loren Waters
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
My creative vision for this project was to highlight Rebecca Jim’s vision for her community of Native people if their water was clean. The story taps into her inherent connection to the Cherokee homelands in North Carolina from where we were forcibly removed and the beauty of that place and where she lives now. Rebecca’s environmental justice work in the community is inspiring to me and many others. I felt that her story should be told and shared with a wider audience. She chooses to focus on the positives and small wins, which I chose to illuminate in the film through community activities that don’t exist in that area. The film shows what could exist there.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
So often when we think of stories of environmental destruction, they are told factually, through a narrative that chronologically displays the damage done and the stakeholders in conflict, all trying to reconcile conflicting motivations for economic growth versus environmental justice. I wanted to take this film a step beyond that, to imagine a world where we center what is possible.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Themes of connection to place, cultural preservation, and environmental justice are explored through Rebecca Jim’s eyes, a Cherokee elder, in the film. I grew up in Oklahoma and my entire family is from here. Our Cherokee ancestors were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory during the Trail of Tears and we have been here since. It is a location of rich storytelling.
Generating ecosystem restoration on a global scale requires critically thinking about Indigenous peoples and the ways their communities thrived on their homelands before colonization, understanding the sacred and reciprocal relationship among humans, animals, culture, and the environment. All life, elements, and beings are interconnected, never separated or existing without one another.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
When I first started making the film, I didn't realize that there would be a strong connection to our Cherokee homelands in North Carolina in the storyline. After talking with Rebecca, it was apparent that her experiences there were essential to highlight. I didn't realize there would be liminal space between our origin stories and our new ones.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I've heard that it's dreamy, poetic, and that they could listen to Rebecca's voice all day! The film also does not follow a linear timeframe and I've heard that it is outside the framework of what folks typically see in documentary storytelling.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Because I've been working with Rebecca since 2021, I didn't realize her voice would be so captivating to folks who were hearing it for the first time. I want to continue to explore the boundaries of what filmmaking means, who stories are told for, and where they are shown.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm honored to be included in a lineup of incredible films and stories. I hope being featured here will bring new audiences to this story.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are looking for distributors at this time! We are open to having conversations with buyers, film festival directors, and journalists as well.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
The intended impact can be distilled into a primary goal: bringing awareness to the Tar Creek Superfund Site cleanup efforts led by the L.E.A.D Agency and Executive Director, Rebecca Jim. She has been the predominant leader in bringing awareness to the dangers and toxicity of Tar Creek.
Additionally, our film impact plan encompasses supporting Tar Creek Rights of Nature, amplifying the L.E.A.D. Agency’s advocacy work, educating youth on the power of storytelling, and warning other communities to protect their lands and waters so that there are "No More Tar Creeks". The film transcends geographical boundaries, making a compelling case for our shared responsibility towards our planet and heritage.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Rebecca Jim has a clear vision of what she envisions for the future of her community as we see in the film. What could you imagine for the future in your community?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am continuing to background cast feature films and television shows. I'd like to dabble in writing and directing narrative stories -- stay tuned!
Interview: February 2024
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
ᏗᏂᏠᎯ ᎤᏪᏯ (Meet Me at the Creek)
In order to revitalize cultural traditions, a Cherokee elder fights to restore the “irreversibly damaged” Tar Creek.
Length: 9:10
Director: Loren Waters
Producer: Rebecca Jim
Writer: Loren Waters
About the writer, director and producer:
LOREN WATERS is an award-winning director, producer, and casting director from the Cherokee Nation and Kiowa Tribe. She’s worked on notable films and television shows including Reservation Dogs, Fancy Dance, and Killers of the Flower Moon. Her work centers on environmental knowledge, culture revitalization, and Indigenous futurity through storytelling rooted in community collaboration.
Key cast: Rebecca Jim
Looking for: distributors, sales agents, journalists, film festival firectors, buyers
Twitter: @_WatersMedia
Instagram: @meetmeatthecreekfilm
Hashtags used: #meetmeatthecreek, #documentary, #Indigenous
Website: lorenwaters.com/meet-me-at-the-creek
Funders: Nia Tero, University of Oklahoma Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, Running Strong for American Indian Youth, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
March 1 @ 11:45am | Sun Valley Film Festival (Idaho Premiere)
March 23 @ 7:00pm | AmDocsFilm Festival (California Premiere)