This was extremely disappointing on a number of levels. While I agree wholeheartedly that the government response served to underscore how little those in power care about their constituents and dredged up age old racist tensions, the shoddy editing of this film only did a disservice to those people who spent the time and emotional capital to share their stories. The tradition of giving an axe as a housewarming gift is just glossed over and it is the title of the film! The filmmakers repeatedly refer to themselves as journalists, yet all they do is point to problems. They could have perhaps interviewed some more people who are working on a solution to these woes (ex: Malik Rahim, one of the founders of Common Ground, and I know for a fact that his interview would have been phenomenal). And then there is the fact that they made a very conscious effort to include themselves in the film. "When you are two white northerners heading south, remaining behind the camera doesn't feel like an option." Unless you are going to gut houses and remediate mold, this is precisely the reason you should stay behind the camera; this is not your story. Period.
And my final, and perhaps biggest criticism is the sound mix. Wow. Really? Music cuts in and out randomly. The levels are all over the place. Often music is much to loud and drowns out the narration or SOT. These are basic things. An audience is much more willing to deal with amateur visuals if the audio is spot on (ex: Trouble the Water).
New Orleans is a city that is near and dear to my heart. This film could have done a much better job of portraying its people. In the end, I think this can simply be chalked up to novice editing and storytelling skills. I really don't enjoy giving negative reviews, but this, I feel, was called for. I also am an independent filmmaker, and would gladly volunteer my editing time to improve this film.
And my final, and perhaps biggest criticism is the sound mix. Wow. Really? Music cuts in and out randomly. The levels are all over the place. Often music is much to loud and drowns out the narration or SOT. These are basic things. An audience is much more willing to deal with amateur visuals if the audio is spot on (ex: Trouble the Water).
New Orleans is a city that is near and dear to my heart. This film could have done a much better job of portraying its people. In the end, I think this can simply be chalked up to novice editing and storytelling skills. I really don't enjoy giving negative reviews, but this, I feel, was called for. I also am an independent filmmaker, and would gladly volunteer my editing time to improve this film.
