He is primarily known for his documentaries focusing on the working-class communities and social issues in his hometown Braddock, Pennsylvania and the nearby Pittsburgh.
[1] After high school Buba joined the United States National Guard and later worked in a steel mill.
[5] In 1988[6] he made his first full-length feature Lightning Over Braddock: A Rustbowl Fantasy, which was shown at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section.
This film, combines documentary footage with fictional elements to depict the economic decline of Braddock and its impact on the community.
[8] The New York Anthology Film Archives presented a retrospective on his work in 2012 as a part of "Sometimes Cities: Urban America Beyond NYC“.