Bayou Blues

Katrina hits the big(gest) screen

Comments (0) By Noah W. Bailey Thursday, Feb 8 2007

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In the summer of 2005, an IMAX film crew descended on southern Louisiana to film a documentary on the state's rapidly shrinking wetlands. The film was to serve as a warning, depicting the destruction a large hurricane could wreak on New Orleans if something wasn't done to restore its natural barrier from the sea. Unfortunately, the concept for the film was eerily prophetic, as Hurricane Katrina battered the city mere weeks after the film's crew had simulated such a disaster using special effects. As the storm made landfall, the filmmakers quickly mobilized a crew to document the devastation, even borrowing a fake police helicopter from the Miami Vice set to shoot aerial footage. The resulting film, Hurricane on the Bayou, tells the story of the wetlands and Katrina through the eyes of New Orleans musicians such as Amanda Shaw, Tab Benoit and Allen Toussaint, whose personal stories represent both New Orleans' staggering cultural significance and the overwhelming tragedy that continues to confront the city's residents. Catch a glimpse of NOLA Friday through May 24 at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, 1501 Montgomery St. For tickets and showtimes, call 817-255-9540 or visit fwmuseum.org.
Feb. 9-May 24