Like most people, I found the devastation and aftermath of hurricane Katrina both griping and tragic. When Katrina first entered the Gulf of Mexico and began its collision course with New Orleans I immersed myself in studies and data about the levy system of the city in the hopes such knowledge would allay my fears about the upcoming landfall. Unfortunately, that crunch time cramming had the opposite effect as I discovered scientists had been warning about the dangers of just such an event for well over a decade.

Once again this summer hurricanes threatened New Orleans and surrounding areas. But what surprised me even more, was that I began to hear murmurs about the cost to taxpayers and that maybe a second reconstruction shouldn’t even be attempted, but rather move the entire city to an area that was above sea level. This idea stunned me. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to let an area so rich in culture and history be wiped off the map. Thankfully, Faubourg Treme: The Untold History of Black New Orleans offers up numerous reasons on why New Orleans is such an important cultural landmark with far more eloquence then I could ever hope to impart.

For screenwriter Lolis Eric Elie, Faubourg Treme is a deeply personal project. Growing up in New Orleans he eventually left for school and an inevitable career, but sure enough he felt the area calling him back, and he returned in the hopes of helping return the city to its former greatness. Much of the film is by Elie and director Dawn Logsdon (The Weather Underground) illustrating to the viewers just what the neighborhood has to offer both visually and culturally to residents, visitors and to the rest of the country.

You soon learn of the many amazing accomplishments by African Americans who resided in the Faubourg Treme neighborhood of New Orleans. From entrepreneurs to politicians, Faubourg Treme, New Orleans and Louisiana were some of the most racially progressive areas of the country, and the cultural impact the city had for being the birthplace of jazz and the modern Civil Rights movement are incalculable. Simply pondering for only a few moments one can quickly become overwhelmed at their far reaching impact even today.

Faubourg Treme is more then a simple documentary intending to merely inform the viewers of the areas rich history. Rather, it has a far simpler and more noble goal. Faubourg Treme wants to show you how you are affected by the area, and how you have a richer life for it. It doesn’t want to shame you into helping, or to feel guilt over the areas modern problems. It simply wants to share the joy the city brings to its residents on a daily basis, to infect you with its warmth and happiness. For Faubourg Treme is the soul of the United States, and it a good natured and kindly one at that.

Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans (Official Website)

This entry was posted on Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 2:02 pm and is filed under Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.