Hello friends and supporters,
Many of you expressed an interest in the progress of the documentary and offered your assistance.
The Progress:
After some bumps in the road, I'm happy to be continuing along with the production. The first trip was heartrendingly emotional -- poignant and at times even jovial. We arrived the day before Rita hit Texas, and New Orleans looked like a ghost town. We negotiated our way into the city, charmed our way past check points and into hotels, and were fed by Salvation Army or volunteer groups.
By the time we left, parts of the city -- such as Bourbon Street, the West Bank -- were coming back to life, while other parts -- the Ninth Ward (as everyone has heard) and others -- are still destroyed. Yet with all the media coverage, scores have been left out. For instance, the story of St Bernard Parish, predominantly Cajun and working class, which suffered nearly 100% damage, an oil spill and re-flooding after Rita -- just to name one example.
All the people we met, literally all the people we met, were affectionate and open and despite having incredible hardships to bear, extremely generous. They were able to countenance such an ordeal with grace and dignity. It is the people who really are the heart of the Katrina story, the story of individuals that makes it real. Even by the time we left, nearly a month and a half after Katrina -- it was still the subject on everyone's lips -- a food line at the local Piccadilly's, a corner bar just outside the city. It's strange the bond you can feel to people who you just come to know.
Now we are preparing for our next trip, to follow the families we met on the last as they prepare for Christmas and the New Year. None of them are back in their own home, and many of them are displaced and split between various cities. When we return, we will work hard to create a trailer and write many grants.