Friday, February 26, 2010

"Trouble the water" - a film about Hurricane Katrina

by Sunshine Sutherland

"Troublethe water" is a documentary that tells a couple’s tale of what they went through, how they and their families were affected and how they overcame the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The two people, Kim and Scott Roberts, were forced to remain in their home in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans for the hurricane because they lacked the resources to leave.  They  video-taped what they saw and experienced before, during and after the hurricane. 

They struggled to remain above water as it rushed through the streets and houses of their neighborhood. They eventually found refuge in their attic. Their camera battery died during this time so there is a big gap in the footage from them getting out of their attic to a few days after the hurricane. 

They then go through their neighborhood looking at houses and devastation; they even come upon a friend’s dead body. They try to find places to sleep and food to eat without any aid from the military soldiers that are guarding a deserted Navy base in town. They eventually make it to a Red Cross shelter and meet up with some family before finding a truck and leaving town. The couple makes it to Tennessee where they stay for a few months before heading back to New Orleans to rebuild their lives. 

The documentary, hard to forget or ignore, is an excellent film.  It shows how a crisis that can come in moments can forever change your life. It also shows the corruption in our own government and the lack of rescue efforts and resources to victims during and after the hurricane. The city was very ill-prepared for a crisis of that magnitude and, according to the documentary, still is. One example is that the levees that broke have not been properly rebuilt. 

This film is a must-see and will not be easy to lift from your mind. Seeing the intense suffering in the film and the faces of the people, you ache for the victims and survivors of the storm and want relief and comfort for them all.  





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