Katrina Five Years Later: Today

Today

Dir. Naftali Beane Rutter, 2010, 70 mins.

Today, the true story of one day in the life of three families in New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina. Stylistically bold, each scene shot with gripping intimacy, this film is about far more than just New Orleans. In the heroism of Robert McPeek, a policeman patrolling the crime ridden city, in the struggle of Alice and Lewis Blaise to catch just one fish to feed their children. Amidst three fascinating families and their prayers, songs, fights, laughter, and love, Today is the story of a day in the life of America, in all of its beautiful, disturbing, hilarious glory.

Q&A with dir. Naftali Beane Rutter and Sound After the Storm dir. Ryan Fenson-Hood. More speakers tba.

7:30pm

Land of Opportunity

Dir. Luisa Dantas, 2010, 96 mins.

Land of Opportunity, a groundbreaking multi-platform documentary, captures the early years of post-catastrophe New Orleans through the eyes of a diverse group of people. Through their eyes, we experience the ups and downs of an unprecedented urban reconstruction process. Democratic processes fail them, economic crises pull the rug out from under best-intentioned plans, and migration and displacement prove to be a strange bargain. The people in the film are powerful, marginalized, black, white, latino, men, women, opinionated, humble, angry, sad, wise, hilarious, flawed, and often contradictory. Contained in their stories is our story, the story of ordinary people in cities and towns across the world, grappling with extraordinary circumstances much larger than themselves.

Q&A with dir. Luisa Dantas. More speakers tba.