Wednesday, January 17, 2007

"The Drive" - A Film About New Orleans After Katrina



The filmmakers of NOVAC have, for decades, created their art in support of the democratization of video storytelling in New Orleans. They are now part of a group on MySpace called the New Orlean Filmmakers. The group was established on January 14, 2006 as an online meetup group. It eventually has grown to much more and as of August 2006, the New Orleans Filmmakers have reached 133 filmmakers in and around the New Orleans area, including members of the Director's Guild of America and the American Society of Cinematographers.

The following short film is from YouTube. It's titled "The Drive" and it shows scenes of devastation just four months after Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing flooding ravaged the city. The filmmakers say that the painful irony of post-Katrina New Orleans is how few people throughout the country understand the extent of what has happened to the city. Many people do not realize that, just over a year later, things are not back to normal in New Orleans. As America's attention fades from Hurricane Katrina's impact, a disabled New Orleans continues to struggle for survival.

Directors: Tim Ryan & Matt Wisdom
Narration: Heather Ryan:
Original Score: Gil Talmi - www.giltalmi.com:







From NOVAC's website:

Why should New Orleans be rebuilt? NOVAC hopes to answer this question through a series of community-based short documentaries. Local filmmakers are directing the shorts that highlight the unique culture, people, and spirit that make New Orleans a city worth rebuilding.

While parts of New Orleans are alive and kicking, a short drive outside of the French Quarter or Uptown reveals neighborhoods severly damaged by the flooding. NOVAC is also producing a one-hour documentary called The Drive. It is a driving tour through four of the most devastated neighborhoods in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. The first segment of The Drive on the Lower 9th Ward and is now available on DVD at cost ($4.75 + shipping) through Custom Flix. The DVD also includes the entire series of short documentaries.

To view the other short documentaries, visit YouTube. Please vote and email the YouTube video links to friends and family.

If you are interested in supporting this project with a tax-deductible donation or your time, please contact Tim Ryan.



1 comments:

Larry said...

It is a shame that with all the millions of dollars Americans donated for Katrina, and the millions of dollars the government claimed they were going to give, that this debate is still going on.