Available On DVD - Trouble the Water

August 29, 2005 a Category 5 hurricane devastated Southeast Louisiana. We all know this as Hurricane Katrina. We all saw the devastation on television. We all read about the woes in the newspapers. We all heard the stories of what the people of New Orleans had to deal with. But up until this documentary was made, we did not know the true degree of hardships really entailed. Aspiring rap artist Kimberly Rivers-Roberts (aka Black Kold Madina) and her husband Scott Michael Roberts, residents of the 9th Ward of New Orleans, could not afford to evacuate their home. Being self proclaimed hustlers, they decide to use their Hi8 camcorder to record as much footage during the storm as possible in hopes to be able to sell the tape to the news media. But I am sure that when they set out to endure the storm, that they had NO IDEA what they were in store for.

The documentary opens about two weeks after Katrina hit New Orleans. Scott and Kim are approaching Carl Deal and Tia Lessin (the directors of the film) because the couple sees the camera equipment that they have. Kim informs the filmmakers about the footage that she has of her family and some of her neighbors fighting for their lives through Katrina. Deal and Lessin have worked on several documentaries before with famed film maker Michael Moore. They each had a hand in 'Fahrenheit 9/11', 'Bowling for Columbine' and 'Capitalism: A Love Story', but this is their first directorial effort. Once the couple meets the filmmakers the film goes back two weeks and begins to show the story of Kim and Scott.

Kim's footage includes her going through the streets of the 9th Ward talking to folks that can't afford to evacuate. It really looks like they had no idea how terrible the storm was going to be. Her footage shows the couple retreat to the higher ground of their attic trying to escape the floods. She is able to catch a shot of a Stop sign which is nearly submerged with water. As the storm worsens, the attic of their home does not appear to be high enough. The following morning they witness another 9th Ward resident braving the flood in order to move people to a house that has higher ground. The lone person trying to help anyone was a man by the name of Larry. All he had to help him attempt to save lives was a punching bag that he was using as a flotation device. By the following day the couple is in the same house with SEVERAL other residents, including elderly and children.

Kim was not able to capture her entire week because of her lack of battery power. But once she gets together with Deal and Lessin her and Scott, as well as another resident Brian, walk through the streets and explain their ordeal over the last week and a half. Their footage is integrated with the documentary footage. I apologize, because I usually do not give away this many details of a film that I have seen, but the circumstances and conditions that I witnessed in this film are hard not to speak about. As American citizens go DAYS without food, water and support... as people die in the living rooms of their homes because they aren't able to make it to higher ground... as families make 911 calls only to hear "There are no rescue teams available right now."... it's just TOUGH for me not to comment. But rest assured, I am only touching on certain aspects of the film. There is still PLENTY of footage that will shock you to your soul.

Both the filmmakers and the "actors" (its so hard to call them actors when this is REAL LIFE that they are showing us on screen) did an amazing job of showing us the real story of what happened in New Orleans and how the people were neglected. It was equally as enjoyable for me to watch the Bonus features of the documentary. It showed the couple and the directors in a couple of Q&A sessions. They all were able to speak on the lack of government support, the obvious racial connections with the lack of support as well as the conditions of New Orleans even before the storm. The story behind the story is almost as gripping as the hardships they had to endure during Katrina. I found myself asking a question: What's worse, sitting through a category 5 hurricane and hanging on for dear life... or being forgotten and forsaken by your country and government for nearly a week after a disaster strikes while millions are being spent and your armed forces are overseas fighting a war for oil??? To be honest, I can't say that I'm sure which is worse.

I encourage each and every one of you to see this film. It is an eye opener no matter how much you already know about Katrina. This documentary was nominated for over a dozen awards from various film societies, including an Oscar for Best Documentary. This film was shown at the Democratic National Convention and also featured in The Roger Ebert Annual Film Festival. Danny Glover got behind the film and was present at the New Orleans community premiere. The NAACP also awarded the film for Outstanding Documentary. I watched it twice back to back. I cannot stress enough how powerful this film was to me. I first heard about this film several months ago but I am just now getting the opportunity to see it. I also encourage you to visit www.troublethewaterfilm.com and learn more about the story and how you can help support the families of New Orleans... who to this day have not received all of the aid and support needed to rebuild their homes and city.