Does What Happened in New Orleans Stay There?

On the 5th Anniversary of Katrina Land Of Opportunity a new film asks -- Is your city the next New Orleans?

The recent tragedies in Pakistan and Haiti and the unprecedented catastrophe of the BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast reveal that the lessons of New Orleans have only become more relevant in the past few years. Luisa Dantas, my co-producer on Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices left for New Orleans soon after Hurricane Katina hit to document the impact of the storm on the people of this devastated city.

Five years later, this time as a first-time director, Luisa presents Land of Opportunity, a verité character-driven documentary and multi-platform video project, interweaving the stories of a diverse group of people as they struggle to rebuild their lives in post-Katrina New Orleans. The film is so hot out of the editing room, I haven't had a chance to see it yet. Here's a "special sneak peek" that marks Katrina's 5th Anniversary:

Luisa and her team designed Land of Opportunity as more than a film, it is a multi-platform project that will leverage over one thousand hours of footage into web-based short content for educational and organizing purposes. Land of Opportunity re-frames the 5th anniversary of Katrina into the beginning of a discussion, rather than a conclusion. What happens in New Orleans doesn't stay there. In fact, Katrinas are happening to every city in the nation. The tagline, "Happening to a city near you" opens dialogue about the future of urban America and provides an opportunity to redefine disaster recovery. From New York to Detroit to New Orleans, cities are experiencing disasters every day, whether they're defined as economic, natural or man-made.

Luisa put 5 years of thoughtful work, sweat and love into this project. I am a cheerleader for her and Land of Opportunity. Brave New Foundation is proud to introduce Land of Opportunity and encourages you to "share this film" with friends and family to explore the meaning of home and community in an age of displacement and migration. Land of Opportunity and Cuéntame will mark the 5th Anniversary of Katrina with a short video on this Sunday August 29th. Make sure to check out Cuéntame and leave your comments on Sunday when the video is posted!

As communities around the nation combat dramatic challenges, we face an unprecedented need to create effective new systems to support more efficient and sustainable community and economic development efforts. The stories told in Land of Opportunity offer much needed perspectives on the most pressing issues facing our urban areas.

Most of us sat helplessly while our government watched New Orleans and its inhabitants drown. Not Luisa Dantas, she looked for the Land of Opportunity.

Check out HAPPENINGS IN NYC & OAKLAND at www.landofopportunitymovie.com...BRING A HAPPENING TO YOUR CITY!

 

 

 

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Comments

[Rick Eriksen]

11:35 PM on 08/28/2010

New Orleans was just nature’s way of previewing of what’s a comin for the rest of the country…

Detroit is corporate America’s way of previewing of what’s a comin for the rest of the country…

Wasila, as proved that there is little hope a comin for the rest of the country...

[maxfax]

08:24 PM on 08/28/2010

New Orleans has been fighting for it's life forever, Katrina merely revealed who the characters are doing the fighting. Rich, poor, local politicians, the outside opposition politicians, those who abandoned the city, those that hate diversity and culture who only love and tolerate white bread. It's the American story, the one we as Americans generally ignore, our American cities generally left behind by power and money, seeking greener pastures, suburban, cookie cutter, even offshore, seeking more power and money. Katrina is THE opportunity to tell the truth, make a real change, identify the real subversives, and it ain't New Orleanians, her volunteers, or the hard working people keeping the faith day after day, but you do know who they are. The people who think people are poor, although they work day in and day out, many times multiple jobs, still can't pay the rent, but still think poor people because they just don't try hard enough. Nothing could be further from the truth, but we all know why the poor stay poor in America.

[kaptaintripps]

10:48 PM on 08/28/2010

In my own family, the "well-to-do" side doesn't even have a CLUE what the rest of us are suffering through (nor do they care). This is what the U.S. has become.

[Matt Pulver]

06:16 PM on 08/28/2010

Can't wait to see this.

http://mattpulver.wordpress.com/2010/08/28/third-world-america/

[Countess]

02:01 PM on 08/28/2010

New Orleans is a perfect example of what corruption and incompetence can do to destroy a beautiful place. Politicians on the take from the richest industry in America leaving the entire gulf coast in the hands of greedy oil companies and the criminally incompetent army corps of engineers that has worked tirelssly for years to destroy the wetlands that protected the city of New Orleans.

[maxfax]

08:29 PM on 08/28/2010

Greed is the problem, it's systemic throughout the nation and in Washington, New Orleans merely reflects America 2010.

[mamala4]

10:40 PM on 08/27/2010

As I watch MSNBC's special on the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I cannot help but think that George Bush sat and watched as Americans were treated like inconsequential burdens...people died on the streets, there was no medical care, no food, no nothing....and George flew over the area...WAKE UP AMERICA - THAT IS WHAT REPUBLICANS DO FOR THE LOWER AND MIDDLE CLASSES.....NOTHING!! THERE IS NOT A REPUBLICAN OUT THERE THAT WOULD DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY....THEY ARE ELITISTS WHO ONLY CARE ABOUT THEIR TAXES AND HOW TO AVOID PAYING THEM...

[samtee]

04:32 PM on 08/28/2010

The mayor and governor of N.O were the only incompetant people there

[tulsey]

05:55 PM on 08/28/2010

Many hand on deck. Disaster capitalism. "Brownie, you're doin' a heck of a job.

[pinkibus]

06:12 PM on 08/28/2010

samtee That's because Dubua et al weren't there. Dubya was reading the sequel of My Pet Goat.

[Hayley Langel]

10:27 AM on 08/29/2010

Takes a very numb person to act in such a way, that he is GWB numb and dumb. The whole situation is a mystery to me, especially after seeing what can be done, and what's possible. I guess I have to look at it as a learning experience, for our goverment, to be ok and not p'eed off. No excuse for what happened. People are lacking the ability to put themselves in others shoes.