Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Go see a movie: Trouble the Water

Trouble the Water film

Go see a movie. Not just any movie but a movie that will get you thinking. Click here to see where it is playing near you. And if it isn't, either ask a local movie theater to show it or get in touch with the filmmakers and ask them how to get it shown in your town.

I saw clips of Trouble the Water while I was in New Orleans at a conference earlier this year. There was a panel discussion afterwards with the actor Danny Glover (who co-produced this film), the film's directors and the two "stars" of the film - a couple from the 9th Ward neighborhood of New Orleans who managed to film their experiences during the storm and allowed a film crew to follow them around in the aftermath. Hearing them speak was incredible.

But what makes this movie even sadder is what hasn't happened. We are the greatest nation in the world and our government has completely abandoned New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. I saw it first hand during my visit in March. Some neighborhoods are clearly pulling themselves together while others are languishing. It seems to be based on which neighborhood has either a functioning organization or resident will-power to pull themselves out of the mess.

This shouldn't be based on who is lucky to have resources. There should be an equitable way of helping the entire city rebuild. That is why we have a federal government.

Which seems to be committed to rebuilding foreign counties in the Middle East. We should be asking why they won't commit more to rebuilding a great American City.


This movie could be to race and poverty what The Inconvenient Truth was to environmental movement. Please go see it. Then talk about it.

6 comments:

painted maypole said...

will have to see

did you see hurricane on the bayou? also very good

Goofball said...

would it come to Europe too?

Jami said...

I heard the tail-end of a piece on the radio playing at a store about how the federal government has decided to give the folks in NO some extra time to pay off the loans they were given to rebuild. PAY OFF THE LOANS? W-T-F!!?? Has anyone else heard this?

Kate said...

I will definitey try and see this one. It IS an outrage with what has gone on in N.O. NPR had a good stroy recently about the loans that the last commenter mentioned. I was equally like "WTF"?

Flower Child said...

Terribly difficult to see b/c I just get soooo mad. But I will.

UUbuntu said...

I look forward to seeing this film when it comes to Dedham too.

While we wait for Trouble the Water to come to our areas (starting in September), I'd like to recommend Spike Lee's documentary "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts" from about 2 years ago.

It plays much more like a tragedy than an expose.