I watched the Hurricane Katrina documentary Trouble the Water the night of Hurricane Bill. On screen, water engulfed houses and stop
signs; I gathered flashlights, feeling like a wimp. The doc follows
Kimberly Roberts, a street hustler/aspiring rapper left stranded in New
Orleans as Katrina hits. Roberts picks up a camera. Through her footage
and story, we’re shown the mismanaged Katrina debacle in personalized
microcosm: Kimberly and her husband scramble to their attic, bond with
neighbours, fight for FEMA money and start anew in Tennessee. A lesser
film would’ve ended with that fresh start. This one’s better: it
acknowledges even new beginnings aren’t perfect.
This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2009.