Kamp Katrina

A month after Hurricane Katrina, a New Orleans woman known as Ms. Pearl and her husband David Cross opened their backyard to people who needed a place to live, attracting a motley group of a dozen-plus survivors, including Doug and Kelley (who met at Narcotics Anonymous and are expecting a child), Tammy (who has a glass eye she likes to show off), and Charles (whose invisible girlfriend is Joan of Arc). Ms. Pearl lays down rules—no drinking, no drugs, keep things clean—and Cross employs several men in his construction company to help build the makeshift refuge, but a host of problems test their good will. Filmmakers David Redmon and first-time director Ashley Sabin record the unraveling of the makeshift camp over a six-month period in cinéma vérité style, capturing arguments and intimate conversations, public hearings with Mayor Ray Nagin, and street celebrations of the Day of the Dead and Mardi Gras. Throughout, the devastated city stands as a constant, stark backdrop, and when the wise, compassionate, and realistic Ms. Pearl says of the mess in her backyard, “There's so much to do, it's hard to know what to do next,” she could be describing the entire recovery effort in New Orleans. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Wadland)