When the Levees Broke
Encyclopedia
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts is a 2006
documentary film
directed by Spike Lee
about the devastation of New Orleans, Louisiana
due to the failure of the levees during Hurricane Katrina
. It was filmed in late August and early September 2005, and premiered at the New Orleans Arena
on August 16, 2006 and was first aired on HBO the following week. The television
premiere aired in two parts on August 21 and 22, 2006 on HBO. It has been described by an HBO executive as "one of the most important films HBO has ever made." The title is a reference to the blues
tune "When the Levee Breaks
", by Kansas Joe McCoy
and Memphis Minnie
about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
.
The documentary was also screened at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival
on August 31 and September 1, 2006. It won the Orizzonti Documentary Prize and one of two FIPRESCI
awards. In addition it was shown at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
on September 15 and September 16, 2006. It won three awards at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards
and received a Peabody Award
.
The documentary consists largely of news footage and still photos of Katrina and its aftermath interspersed with interviews. Interviewees throughout the film include politicians, journalists, historians, engineers, and many people from various parts of New Orleans and the surrounding areas who give first hand accounts of their experiences with the levee failures and the aftermath. The first installment opens with a photo and film montage of historic and recent New Orleans scenes with a soundtrack of Louis Armstrong
performing Louis Alter
's "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans
". At the end of the last episode is a similar montage with Fats Domino
's "Walking to New Orleans
" on the soundtrack.
The film's original score is by Terence Blanchard
, a New Orleans-born trumpeter who also appears in the film with his mother and aunt as they return to their flooded home.
In the style of Michael Apted
's Up series (a documentary series that interviews Apted's subjects every seven years) Lee has planned to interview the interviewees in Levees at least once more. In August 2010, HBO aired Lee's documentary series If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise, which chronicles how New Orleans and the Gulf Coast area have fared in the five years following Hurricane Katrina.
This particular documentary is Spike Lee's third, preceded by 1997's 4 Little Girls
and 2002's Jim Brown: All-American
.
Shooting for the film began some three months after Hurricane Katrina hit. Lee along with his camera crew took the first of eight trips to New Orleans where they conducted interviews and taped footage for the film. It was Lee's hope to obtain varying opinions of the storm and response to the storm's destruction. He interviewed nearly 100 people of diverse backgrounds and opinions for his film.
It received a 2006 Peabody Award
for being an "epic document of destruction and broken promises and a profound work of art" and "an uncompromising analysis of the events that precede and follow Hurricane Katrina's assault on New Orleans" that "tells the story with an unparalleled diversity of voices and sources." as well as the 2007 NAACP Image Award
for Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
. At the 63rd Venice International Film Festival
the film was awarded the Horizons award in the documentary category. The film was also selected as part of the 2008 Whitney Biennial
.
The film points out that the disaster in New Orleans was preventable, caused by levees poorly designed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
, with the suffering afterwards greatly compounded by failures at all levels of government, most severely at the Federal level. These points are in line with mainstream investigations, including the bipartisan U.S. Congressional report "A Failure of Initiative" and the Army Corps of Engineers' own studies.
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
about the devastation of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
due to the failure of the levees during Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. It was filmed in late August and early September 2005, and premiered at the New Orleans Arena
New Orleans Arena
New Orleans Arena is an indoor arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located in the city's Central Business District, adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome....
on August 16, 2006 and was first aired on HBO the following week. The television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
premiere aired in two parts on August 21 and 22, 2006 on HBO. It has been described by an HBO executive as "one of the most important films HBO has ever made." The title is a reference to the blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
tune "When the Levee Breaks
When the Levee Breaks
"When the Levee Breaks" is a blues song written and first recorded by husband and wife Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929. The song is in reaction to the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927....
", by Kansas Joe McCoy
Kansas Joe McCoy
Kansas Joe McCoy was an African American Delta blues musician and songwriter.-Career:McCoy played music under a variety of stage names but is best known as "Kansas Joe McCoy". Born in Raymond, Mississippi, he was the older brother of the blues accompanist Papa Charlie McCoy...
and Memphis Minnie
Memphis Minnie
Memphis Minnie was an American blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. She was the only female blues artist considered a match to male contemporaries as both a singer and an instrumentalist.-Career:...
about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States.-Events:The flood began when heavy rains pounded the central basin of the Mississippi in the summer of 1926. By September, the Mississippi's tributaries in Kansas and Iowa were swollen to...
.
The documentary was also screened at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival
63rd Venice International Film Festival
The 63rd Venice International Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, was opened on 30 August 2006 with Brian De Palma's The Black Dahlia and was closed on 9 September 2006...
on August 31 and September 1, 2006. It won the Orizzonti Documentary Prize and one of two FIPRESCI
FIPRESCI
The International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
awards. In addition it was shown at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
2006 Toronto International Film Festival
The 2006 Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 7 to September 16, 2006. Opening the festival was Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn's The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, a film that "explores the history of the Inuit people through the eyes of a father and daughter."In a press release...
on September 15 and September 16, 2006. It won three awards at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards
59th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition...
and received a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
.
The documentary consists largely of news footage and still photos of Katrina and its aftermath interspersed with interviews. Interviewees throughout the film include politicians, journalists, historians, engineers, and many people from various parts of New Orleans and the surrounding areas who give first hand accounts of their experiences with the levee failures and the aftermath. The first installment opens with a photo and film montage of historic and recent New Orleans scenes with a soundtrack of Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
performing Louis Alter
Louis Alter
Louis Alter was an American pianist, songwriter and composer. Alter was 13 when he began playing piano in theaters showing silent films...
's "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans
Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans
"Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" is a song written by Eddie DeLange and Louis Alter, which was first heard in the movie New Orleans in 1947, where it was performed by Louis Armstrong and sung by Billie Holiday....
". At the end of the last episode is a similar montage with Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
's "Walking to New Orleans
Walking to New Orleans
Walking to New Orleans is a 1960 song by Bobby Charles, written for and recorded by Fats Domino.Domino was a hero of Charles. Domino had previously recorded the Charles tune "Before I Grow Too Old"...
" on the soundtrack.
The film's original score is by Terence Blanchard
Terence Blanchard
Terence Oliver Blanchard is an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, arranger, and film score composer. Since he emerged on the scene in 1980 with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and then shortly thereafter with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blanchard has been a leading artist in jazz...
, a New Orleans-born trumpeter who also appears in the film with his mother and aunt as they return to their flooded home.
In the style of Michael Apted
Michael Apted
Michael David Apted, CMG is an English director, producer, writer and actor. He is one of the most prolific British film directors of his generation but is best known for his work on the Up Series of documentaries and the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.On 29 June 2003 he was elected...
's Up series (a documentary series that interviews Apted's subjects every seven years) Lee has planned to interview the interviewees in Levees at least once more. In August 2010, HBO aired Lee's documentary series If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise, which chronicles how New Orleans and the Gulf Coast area have fared in the five years following Hurricane Katrina.
Synopsis
The film focuses on the forever changed lives of New Orleans residents after Hurricane Katrina hit. The film shows the citizens in the midst of disaster dealing with death, devastation and disease. In a statement made by director Spike Lee about the film he states, "New Orleans is fighting for its life. These are not people who will disappear quietly — they're accustomed to hardship and slights, and they'll fight for New Orleans. This film will showcase the struggle for New Orleans by focusing on the profound loss, as well as the indomitable spirit of New Orleaneans."This particular documentary is Spike Lee's third, preceded by 1997's 4 Little Girls
4 Little Girls
4 Little Girls is a 1997 American historical documentary film about the 1963 murder of four African-American girls during the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It was directed by Spike Lee and nominated for an Academy Award for "Best Documentary".The incident...
and 2002's Jim Brown: All-American
Jim Brown: All-American
Jim Brown: All-American is a 2002 documentary film directed by Spike Lee. The film takes a look at the life of NFL hall-of-famer Jim Brown. The film delves into his life—past, present and future—focusing on his athletic career, acting and activism. Many people from Hollywood and sports...
.
Shooting for the film began some three months after Hurricane Katrina hit. Lee along with his camera crew took the first of eight trips to New Orleans where they conducted interviews and taped footage for the film. It was Lee's hope to obtain varying opinions of the storm and response to the storm's destruction. He interviewed nearly 100 people of diverse backgrounds and opinions for his film.
Interviewees
People appearing in interviews include:- Glen David Andrews, musician
- John M. BarryJohn M. BarryJohn M. Barry is an American author and historian, perhaps best known for his books on the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and the influenza pandemic of 1918....
, author and member of Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection AuthoritySLFPAThe Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority, established by Louisiana state law in 2006 and initiating operation the following year, consists of two regional levee boards which oversee flood protection in the Greater New Orleans area on the east and west banks of the Mississippi River... - Harry BelafonteHarry BelafonteHarold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
, actor and singer - Terence BlanchardTerence BlanchardTerence Oliver Blanchard is an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, arranger, and film score composer. Since he emerged on the scene in 1980 with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and then shortly thereafter with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blanchard has been a leading artist in jazz...
, jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician - Kathleen BlancoKathleen BlancoKathleen Babineaux Blanco was the 54th Governor of Louisiana, having served from January 2004 until January 2008. She was the first woman to be elected to the office of governor of Louisiana....
, governor of Louisiana - Douglas BrinkleyDouglas BrinkleyDouglas Brinkley is an American author, professor of history at Rice University and a fellow at the James Baker Institute for Public Policy. Brinkley is the history commentator for CBS News and a contributing editor to the magazine Vanity Fair...
, professor of history at Tulane UniversityTulane UniversityTulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States... - Karen CarterKaren Carter PetersonKaren Carter Peterson is a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate, representing the 5th District since 2010. She previously served as the representative from District 93 , in the Louisiana House of Representatives and as Speaker Pro Tempore...
, New Orleans politician, member of the Louisiana State LegislatureLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators... - Louella Givens, representative, second district of Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary EducationLouisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary EducationThe Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education was created during the 1973 Louisiana Constitutional Convention, called by then Governor Edwin W. Edwards...
- Cynthia Hedge-MorrellCynthia Hedge-MorrellCynthia Hedge-Morrell is a teacher, a former school administrator and a Democratic politician from New Orleans.-Education:Hedge-Morrell holds a Bachelor of Administration in Elementary Education from the University of New Orleans and a master of science from Loyola University New...
, member of the New Orleans City CouncilNew Orleans City CouncilThe New Orleans City Council is the legislative branch of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. There is one city council member for each of the five council districts, as well as two at-large council members. The council members are elected to four-year terms using the two-round... - Donnell Herrington, survivor of a post-Katrina racially-motivated shooting in Algiers PointAlgiers PointAlgiers Point is a location on the Lower Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana. In river pilotage, Algiers Point is simply one of the many points of land around which the river flows—albeit a significant one...
- Mary LandrieuMary LandrieuMary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, senior U.S. Senator from Louisiana - Mitch LandrieuMitch LandrieuMitchell Joseph "Mitch" Landrieu is the Mayor of New Orleans, former Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, and a member of the Landrieu family. Landrieu is a member of the Democratic Party and a Roman Catholic. He is the son of former New Orleans mayor and Secretary of the United States Department of...
, Lieutenant Governor of LouisianaLieutenant Governor of LouisianaThe Office of Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana is the second highest state office in Louisiana. The current Lieutenant Governor is Jay Dardenne, a Republican... - Dr. Calvin MackieCalvin MackieCalvin Mackie is an award-winning mentor, motivational speaker, and successful entrepreneur. He is the older brother of actor Anthony Mackie.- Education :...
, faculty member of Tulane UniversityTulane UniversityTulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
and founder of Channel Zero; also appointed to Louisiana Recovery AuthorityLouisiana Recovery AuthorityThe Louisiana Recovery Authority is the governmental body created in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita by Governor Kathleen Blanco to plan for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana... - Wynton MarsalisWynton MarsalisWynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
, musician - Dr. Hassan Mashriqui, researcher, LSU Hurricane Center
- Marc MorialMarc MorialMarc Haydel Morial is an American political and civic leader and the current president of the National Urban League. Morial served as mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana from 1994 to 2002. He is married to Michelle Miller, who has won awards as a CBS News Correspondent.- Early life and educations...
, former Mayor of New Orleans and President and CEO of the National Urban LeagueNational Urban LeagueThe National Urban League , formerly known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of African Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States. It is the oldest and largest... - Arthur Morrell, New Orleans politician and member of the Louisiana State LegislatureLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
- Ray NaginRay NaginClarence Ray Nagin, Jr. is a former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Nagin gained international note in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area....
, mayor of New Orleans - Soledad O'BrienSoledad O'BrienMaría de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien is an American Broadcast journalist. She is currently the host of the "In America" documentary unit on CNN, and is best known for anchoring the CNN marquee morning newscast American Morning from July 2003 to April 2007, with Miles O'Brien...
, television journalist - Sean PennSean PennSean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
, actor and activist - Wendell PierceWendell PierceWendell Pierce is an American actor, best known for his work in HBO dramas, including his portrayal of Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire and trombonist Antoine Batiste in Treme.-Life and career:...
, New Orleans actor - Garland RobinetteGarland RobinetteGarland Robinette is a journalist in the New Orleans area. He currently is host of "The Think Tank" on New Orleans radio station WWL ....
, New Orleans journalist and radio host - Junior RodriguezJunior RodriguezHenry Rodriguez, Jr. is a local politician from St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, in the Greater New Orleans area. He is of Isleño descent and is registered as an Independent. He served as Councilmember on the St. Bernard Parish Council from 1976 to 2004 and as President of the St. Bernard Parish...
, president of the St. Bernard Parish Council - Rev. Al SharptonAl SharptonAlfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
, civil rights activist - Dinerral ShaversDinerral ShaversDinerral "Dick" Shavers was a jazz drummer and educator from New Orleans, Louisiana.Shavers was best known musically as a founding member of the Hot 8 Brass Band...
, musician - Ivor van HeerdenIvor van HeerdenDr. Ivor van Heerden, Ph.D., holds a doctorate degree in Marine Sciences and was the deputy director of the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center, before being dismissed by LSU following Hurricane Katrina. He is also the director of the Center for the Study of Public Health Impacts of...
, deputy director of the Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
Hurricane Center - Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, music producer and rapper - Phyllis Montana LeBlanc, resident of New Orleans East.
Awards
When the Levees Broke won three Emmy Awards: Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking, Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming, and Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming.It received a 2006 Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
for being an "epic document of destruction and broken promises and a profound work of art" and "an uncompromising analysis of the events that precede and follow Hurricane Katrina's assault on New Orleans" that "tells the story with an unparalleled diversity of voices and sources." as well as the 2007 NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
for Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special:...
. At the 63rd Venice International Film Festival
63rd Venice International Film Festival
The 63rd Venice International Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, was opened on 30 August 2006 with Brian De Palma's The Black Dahlia and was closed on 9 September 2006...
the film was awarded the Horizons award in the documentary category. The film was also selected as part of the 2008 Whitney Biennial
Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Biennial is a biennale exhibition of contemporary American art, typically by young and lesser known artists, on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, USA. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932, the first biennial was in 1973...
.
Points made by the film
The film focuses on the suffering of those affected by the disaster and their will to survive.The film points out that the disaster in New Orleans was preventable, caused by levees poorly designed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
, with the suffering afterwards greatly compounded by failures at all levels of government, most severely at the Federal level. These points are in line with mainstream investigations, including the bipartisan U.S. Congressional report "A Failure of Initiative" and the Army Corps of Engineers' own studies.
See also
- 2005 levee failures in Greater New Orleans
- Criticism of government response to Hurricane KatrinaCriticism of government response to Hurricane KatrinaThe criticism of the government response to Hurricane Katrina consisted primarily of condemnations of mismanagement and lack of preparation in the relief effort in response to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Specifically, there was a delayed response to the flooding of New Orleans, Louisiana...