A Village Called Versailles

S. Leo Chiang's documentary tells the amazing story of the Versailles section of eastern New Orleans (named after the Versailles Arms, a public housing project), a tightly knit Vietnamese community since 1975, a time when refugees fled from rural Vietnam and resettled there. Following Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, many of the Versailles residents worked nonstop to rebuild their homes—to the point that half the occupants returned home by January 2006. However, a month later, Mayor Ray Nagin authorized the dumping of toxic Katrina-related debris in a neighboring landfill that was ill-prepared for such materials; his action led the community to fight City Hall—and win. The film's depiction of the rebirth of Versailles offers one of the few success stories to emerge from the disaster, while also painting Nagin as an opportunistic scoundrel (he initially planned to shut down the landfill when seeking re-election, then backtracked once his job was secure). A Village Called Versailles also offers an important sociological examination of how Vietnamese immigrants have assimilated into the U.S. mainstream. Initially an isolated population, the Versailles residents recognized the need to become part of the larger city if they were going to survive, and their use of street protests and media outreach against the landfill plan provides ample evidence of their success. Presented in both the full-length 67-minute and 54-minute version for broadcast (the documentary is slated to air on PBS' acclaimed Independent Lens series later this year), this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)