TV

Spike Lee turns his lens on Katrina survivors

By Diane Holloway
AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Friday, August 18, 2006

At the beginning of Spike Lee's new Hurricane Katrina documentary, Louis Armstrong croaks the deeply evocative song "Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?"

A year after the Crescent City was nearly washed away, the answer, without question, is yes. At least we think we do. But the nearly 100 survivors who bear witness to the tragedy in "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts," really do know the answer to Satchmo's query.

Phyllis Montana LeBlanc, one of the film's most impassioned voices, riffs on her pain, anger and determination to go home after barely escaping the Aug. 29, 2005, disaster. She is alternately poetic and profane. And her influence throughout the film is haunting.

When Katrina hit New Orleans and the levees broke, flooding 80 percent of the city and virtually wiping out the Ninth Ward, Spike Lee was among the millions of Americans shocked by the disaster and appalled by the slow, inept response of the government.

In this day and age, how could a hurricane be a surprise? How could an American city be turned into such a wasteland in the 21st century? We're used to seeing those images in Third World countries.

Lee decided to help the victims bear witness to their tragedy.

"This film will showcase the struggle for New Orleans by focusing on the profound loss, as well as the indomitable spirit of New Orleans," he said at the start.

Three months after Katrina, Lee and a small crew began multiple trips to New Orleans to conduct interviews, document the scenes of destruction and wander through neighborhoods that looked like the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust.

Music plays a big part in the film, as it does in the history and culture of New Orleans. Wynton Marsalis is prominent, both speaking and performing, as are several other native musicians.

One of the most bittersweet moments in the film is a scene with jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard playing "St. James Infirmary" as he strolls through a demolished area.

And one of the most heartrending stories is told by Ninth Ward resident Kimberly Polk, who spent nine tortuous months trying to find and claim the body of her 5-year-old daughter Sarena, who perished when the levees broke.

The four-hour film has no voice-over narration and no official Spike Lee point of view. His subjects are the people of New Orleans, plus a few officials and celebrities.

But the prevailing mood among survivors, who are the stars of this drama, is anger. They blame the government for abandoning them in their time of need, and they are heartbroken at their plight. Few people are likely to disagree with this assessment.

A rumor that swept the city soon after the disaster — that the levees were intentionally blown up — is examined and dismissed. Rapper Kanye West thinks back on his impromptu remark during a hurricane-relief telethon that "George Bush doesn't care about black people."

But most of "When the Levees Broke" is less about controversy than about personal stories of misery and survival. As wrenching as this drumbeat of sorrow is, the belief that New Orleans will resurrect is echoed throughout the film.

dholloway@statesman.com; 445-3608