New Orleans Rising

New Orleans Rising tells the story of five people striving to save unique elements of the the city’s culture in the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  The film dives into different socio-economic and cultural neighborhoods in the city during the critical period when many wondered if New Orleans could come back.

The film tracks the progress and struggles over the course of two years as the city and people fight to continue.  We witness first-hand the stories of a Mardi Gras Indian Chief, a member of the Rex Krewe, an independent craft artist from the French Quarter, a high school marching band director, and a former participant in the Zulu Krewe.

As these five residents grapple with the intense challenges of the first two years after Katrina, we see that the battle to repair and to save the singular culture and art of New Orleans is just as important as the struggle to repair broken homes and businesses.

The film offers an immersive experience into a uniquely American place as it comes to terms with the one of the worst disasters to ever hit a US city.

The intimate and overwhelming struggles of the film’s characters highlight the value they attach to New Orleans culture and the lengths they will pursue to preserve their way of life.

At its heart, New Orleans Rising is about the beauty of culture, the aesthetics and emotional depths of culture, and the healing powers of culture. It’s about the idea that in great times of trauma or crisis people rely on culture to keep them going, to give them meaning, to give them stability, and to help decide that it is worth hanging in there.

As the subjects face the ups and downs of staying in New Orleans, they believe they’re saving the culture. But in the end, are they saving the culture, or is the culture saving them?

The film has been praised in the New Orleans press and by people across the city as ” a jewel offering a glimpse into various sub-cultures by telling the personal stories of participants.”

The New Orleans Times-Picayune called the film, “broad in scope and intimate in execution at the same time, the film is gently paced but provides its viewers with real insider insight into the city’s comeback challenges and motivations” as well as an “understated jewel.”

New Orleans Rising premiered on PBS New Orleans as featured film for the five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

The film is 88 minutes in length and is distributed by Chieftain Productions across all mediums. For more information, please use our contact page.