Deep Time

Filmmaker Noah Hutton's documentary examines the North Dakota oil boom by focusing on the northwestern part of the state that was transformed by new extraction technology into a lucrative source of petroleum in the early 2000s. Situated on the Bakken Shale, the region includes the small community of Stanley and the adjacent Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, home to the so-called Three Affiliated Tribes (the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara nations). Town residents and local farmers express happiness over the additional income brought by oil leases, but also regret over changes (the influx of outsiders seeking work, escalating housing costs). Environmental concerns also arise—one individual wonders why natural gas is simply being burnt off so that oil can be extracted more quickly, and reports of truckers simply dumping wastewater into fields are a cause for alarm. Conflicting opinions among the Native Americans are evident in the words of Marty Youngbear, who attends meetings to question the pro-drilling stance of tribal officials and to argue for greater attention towards preserving tribal lands and culture. Hutton places the subject in broader context via news clips from national politicians, including President Obama, along with interviews of former North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan, who urges a more cautious, balanced approach. The film's structure is somewhat chaotic (a consideration of climate change at the close seems tacked on) and it was made before the recent collapse of oil prices, but on the whole Deep Time offers an incisive look at the consequences of one locale's response to sudden economic change. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)