2008 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary Feature, this astonishingly powerful film is at once horrifying and exhilarating. Directed and produced by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal (producers, Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling fo... more »r Columbine), Trouble the Water takes you inside Hurricane Katrina in a way never before seen on screen. The film opens the day before the storm makes landfall--just blocks away from the French Quarter but far from the New Orleans that most tourists knew. Kimberly Rivers Roberts, an aspiring rap artist, is turning her new video camera on herself and her 9th Ward neighbors trapped in the city. "It's going to be a day to remember," Kim declares. As the hurricane begins to rage and the floodwaters fill their world and the screen, Kim and her husband Scott continue to film their harrowing retreat to higher ground and the dramatic rescues of friends and neighbors. The filmmakers document the couple's return to New Orleans, the devastation of their neighborhood and the appalling repeated failures of government. Weaving an insider's view of Katrina with a mix of verite and in-your-face filmmaking, Trouble the Water is a redemptive tale of self-described street hustlers who become heroes--two unforgettable people who survive the storm and then seize a chance for a new beginning.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- 16:9 anamorphic presentation, enhanced for widescreen televisions
- Outtakes, including extended and deleted scenes
- Q&As from the 2008 New Orleans premiere and 2009 Roger Ebert Film Festival
- Trouble the Water at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
- U.S. theatrical trailer
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
"Trouble the Water deserves all of the hype surrounding it: Sundance, Gotham Awards, the Academy Awards-- these nominations and wins came for a reason. I saw a free screening of this film in Central Park where the filmmakers, distribution company, and the subjects of the documentary came to promote the film to an audience that normally wouldn't be exposed to independent documentaries. The reception of the film was incredible, and the documentary itself was very moving. It really gives a human face and a closer look at Katrina other than the news footage seen on TV at the time. Zeitgeist films picked up the documentary World Cinema Documentary winner from this year's Sundance and after catching a preview screening I can say that this is a company that knows how to pick its documentaries. Afghan Star, which follows four competitors competing on Afghanistan's Pop Idol competition, is being released in late June. Keep an eye out for this documentary-- the public is finally getting more access to these incredible films that are not only entertaining but also educational!"
Amazing and graceful.
A. L. Smith | memphis, tennessee United States | 04/30/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Kimberly...God bless you and your family. Thank you for having the courage to speak the truth and be a witness to the facts. Every American should watch this film. The only thing more beautiful than Kimberly's heart are her rhymes. I will be buying your CD as soon as I get paid. May God always smile when He says your name. Peace.
P.S.
This film is currently being shown on HBO and HBO On Demand. The review is for the HBO airing in April 2009."
Eye-opening and moving doc
B. Singer | 06/26/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I saw Trouble the Water at a packed screening a couple months ago. As someone who doesn't know anyone directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, I found the film to be very eye-opening, even though I had already seen Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke." The film includes haunting amateur video from Kim Roberts as she and her husband Scott stay in New Orleans while the hurricane hits. The film's story does not stop with the end of the hurricane. Rather, the storm is just the beginning. Filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal follow Kim and Scott on their journey out of New Orleans (and back again), as they share their story, deal with the tragedy and loss caused by the storm, and begin a new life. Kim is the true star the film, a talented aspiring rapper who proves herself as a hero by helping her family, friends, and neighbors, survive the storm and its devastation. I would highly recommend this film to everyone, whether you were affected by Katrina or know little about it."
My lord if this doesn't make us want to change nothing will
S. Fishburn | Fort Collins, Colorado, USA | 08/27/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I live in Colorado. About a week before Katrina, I visited New Orleans for only the second time in my life, as an absolute tourist, with a daughter and two grandsons, and for the second time fell in love with a city that was so mixed, so mixed up, and so totally unforgettable that it both captured and broke my heart. And that was before Katrina mind you. Watching Trouble the Water, the truest, most REAL documentary I have ever seen (and I've seen alot of them) brought back all the feelings of utter devastation we experienced as we watched the "news" coverage during and after the worst natural AND man-made disaster in our country in my memory. It was a terrible moment in our history and the repercussions continue today for thousands. Hearing the story re-told by Kimberly Roberts brings to mind all the clichés - moving, horrifying, unbelievable, etc. My heart sank as she pulled on the face mask to enter the house in the Lower 9th Ward in search of her uncle. Yes, he was dead. Yes, it was two weeks after the levees broke and no, no "authorities" had been through their neighborhood. Yet her story and personal film footage (yes, she IS essentially a born "journalist", especially evident in her outrageously honest, astute, and poetic lyrics), and that of her friends, neighbors and family transcend cliché, and make hope tangible. And I don't mean to imply she was the only person making an effort above and beyond; Brian, Scott, Larry, and so many others all deserve respect, and also the means to carry on - something way more useful than medals. Kudos to the official "filmmakers" for understanding all of that, and simply keeping the cameras rolling."
Written after seeing premiere of film
Michele K. Gielis | 08/02/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Good evening to you - just saw your film tonight, had the honor to shake your hand. Wanted to say that having studied documentary film and made a couple of small ones, the integrity with which you approached this and let us get to know Kim and her family was astounding. I cried and laughed and was enriched. Thank you for telling her story and most of all spreading the word by traveling with the film. I heard about your film through an independent film newsletter. In October, I'll be in Houma, LA helping them raise awareness about saving the wetlands at the Voice of the Wetlands festival and I'll be sure to spread the word of Trouble the Water. Amazing job and I hope you are taking pride in your work, because you deserve it. I love the people of Louisiana and it's wonderful to see someone standing up for them. I'll keep an eye out for when you distribute this on DVD and I'm planning to buy copies for many friends and family. Congratulations and thank you for opening my heart."