Trouble The Water Blog

Nicole C. Lee, Exec. Director of TransAfrica Forum, Editorial

Trouble The Water, by Nicole C. Lee

NNPA Columnist

Originally posted 10/8/2008, The Seattle Medium

Watching the television coverage of Hurricane Katrina was horrifying. It reminded me of so many scenes I have witnessed around the world. People with no hope of rescue, begging for help. Our people were alone with no government able or willing to respond. It reminded me of the courage these ordinary people have and the generosity that they provide each other, even in the worst of circumstances. From Haiti to Zimbabwe to the U.S., ordinary people overcome racism, deal with pain and death, and find life and hope. Read More | Comments (0)

A LETTER FROM MEMPHIS, by Kim Hayes

For many of us Hurricane Katrina remains a burnt image of devastation in our memory banks, yet for most of America Katrina is simply forgotten, until the anniversary of her horror. This year the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina was gifted with a jewel, which should be embraced for all times.

This documentary, named for her true actions, simply because, she truly did” trouble the water”, gives the most vivid and sometimes heartbreaking account of one family’s determination to survive against all odds. If there was ever a documentary that should been seen, by all ages, this is the one to choose.  Read More | Comments (1)

Sponsor a Student Screening of Trouble the Water

Wherever “Trouble the Water” has screened, educators have expressed interest in bringing their college and high school classes on field trips to see “Trouble the Water” in the theater. We are eager to help facilitate this, particularly for school districts in low-income and of-color communities that are under-resourced and for students who rarely get a chance to go to the movies. Kimberly and Scott Robert’s journey in “Trouble the Water” offers young people a tremendous springboard for expression, reflection, organizing and, most importantly, hope. The film depicts a reality that doesn’t often get portrayed so honestly on screen. And when placed in an historic and structural context, it can also help young people think about policy implications of their political choices.  Read More | Comments (0)

New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE Review (Four Stars)

CAT 5 CINEMA: POST-K DOC 'TROUBLE THE WATER' IS AS IMPORTANT AS IT IS MOVING

Review by Mike Scott, Movie writer, The Times-Picayune September 19, 2008

In the simplest terms, "Trouble the Water" is a Hurricane Katrina documentary -- Sundance-celebrated, celebrity-endorsed -- but it also is every bit a historical document, capturing the fear, the uncertainty and the grief of two emblematic residents of New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward as they endure their Katrina odyssey.Along the way, directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal provide a big-picture look at the myriad social and political deficiencies that Katrina laid bare -- the inefficiency, the ineptitude, the shameful abandonment of the city's poorest citizens. Read More | Comments (10)

Chicago Community Premiere

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and the Community Renewal Society have partnered to host a community premiere of “Trouble the Water” in Chicago as part of their ongoing efforts to work to educate the general public on the urgent need to reform the criminal justice system and immigration laws in this nation.

The event will follow the 5 pm screening at the Landmark’s Century Center Cinema at 2828 N. Clark St. in Chicago, featuring a Q&A with producers/directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, as well as representatives of ICIRR and Community Renewal. The screening and Q&A is open to the public, and discounted tickets can be purchased by contacting: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).  Read More | Comments (0)

GREEN FOR ALL supports the New Orleans opening of Trouble the Water

Now is the time, and New Orleans is the place! Ashel and I are so excited to be in New Orleans for the opening of the new documentary "Trouble the Water," winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, which opens this Friday, Sept. 19th at the Canal Place Cinema. As representatives of Green For All, we are promoting the upcoming National Day of Action - Green Jobs Now - on Sept. 27th in partnership with the producers of this important new film. One of the producer/directors, Carl Deal, executive producer and longtime supporter of justice movements, Danny Glover, and Kim and Scott Roberts, who are featured in the film, will be present at the opening shows at 5pm and 7:30pm.  Read More | Comments (1)

GUSTAV INFO

For comprehensive up-to-date resources, news and information related to Hurricane Gustav, please visit http://www.gustavinfo.org. This website was created by the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center in solidarity with the many advocacy efforts going on at this time.  Read More | Comments (1)

GUSTAV RESOURCES

The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) launched the website gustavinfo.org on September 1, to provide members of the American public, residents of the Gulf Coast, and Gulf Coast advocates with up-to-date information related to Hurricane Gustav and the massive evacuation effort in response to it. To support GNOFHAC's efforts, please visit http://www.gnofairhousing.org and consider making a donation to sustain their work.  Read More | Comments (2)

ALERT: HERE’S ONE WAY TO HELP THE CITIZENS OF THE GULF COAST NOW

One of our partners, The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (LDRF), is expediting funding to local agencies along the Gulf Coast to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. Already, LDRF has helped the Lafayette Restoration Center move seniors and people with special needs out of New Orleans and to safety, and there are many more local organizations LDRF is providing emergency assistance to. You can help. Visit the LDRF website to find out how: http://www.louisianahelp.org/  Read More | Comments (4)

Three Years Later

We screened "Trouble the Water" for delegates and lawmakers at the Democratic National Convention this week, where Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu tearfully embraced Kimberly and Scott Roberts, the couple whose story is featured in "Trouble the Water," and declared that all Americans should see the film. Today, hundreds of thousands of other Gulf Coast residents are commemorating the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall, just as they are preparing to evacuate in advance of a new storm which threatens their communities. Because the levees remain structurally unsound and little has changed for those hardest hit, New Orleans may be as vulnerable as it was three years ago. Please join in commemorative events near you this weekend and join others in demanding a just recovery. Read More | Comments (0)