Trouble The Water (dir. Tia Lessin & Carl Deal)

This is an exceptional documentary. The filmmakers, having arrived in New Orleans to make a documentary about Hurricane Katrina in the aftermath, bump into Kimberly Roberts, a young local aspiring rap artists who wants to show them the footage she shot on her High 8 camcorder. Realising that despite the poor image quality and the shaky camera work, before them was remarkable footage and a remarkable person. Kimberly stayed in Orleans because she had no money to leave and there was no public transport provided for those that needed it. The have-nots were left to their fate. The filming Kimberly does on the day the hurricane is due to strike is filled with people oblivious or uncertain of what is headed their way. Kim keeps filming as they are forced into the attic of their home and the water keeps rising. Neighbours who were once enemies come together and those that can, help those that are stranded. The aftermath is horrific, of course the physical devastation to the place, but it's the slowness and lack of adequate care and support by the government that makes the treatment of these people horrific. Kimberly morns for her grandmother who was in a local hospital and not evacuated and amongst many other patients who died as a result. Her brother is released on bail from prison and tells how the day before the storm, the TV was taken away so they had no idea what was going on except suddenly these was no food or water and inmates took to eating paper or toothpaste in the following days. Her uncle's body is found in his home two weeks after the storm. Too little too late but Kimberly and her husband aren't blame mongers, their energy is directed towards surviving and probably always has been. One of the best moments in the film is when Kimberly sings along to one of her tracks where she describes the conditions of her young life but knows that these things just make her stronger and more amazing. Kimberly was lucky to have bumped into these directors and they were lucky to have her and her High 8 tape in their film. It is edited beautifully, mixing Kimberly's rough with the director's 16mm, on a tripod, seamlessly. It's a splendid rarity.