It has been a decade since Hurricane Katrina blew into New Orleans, carving a devastating path that forever changed the physical, social, racial, and political landscape of the city. The storm turned the nation’s attention to issues that went far beyond the destruction that came with it. For filmmaker Zack Godshall, New Orleans provided an opportunity to tell a story while also capturing (with an unflinching eye) the aftermath of Katrina. The result was "Low And Behold," which screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007, and set to make its digital debut this week. We have the exclusive trailer for the movie below.
Starring Barlow Jacobs ("Shotgun Stories," "The Master"), the film tells the story of a young insurance claim adjuster, in post-Katrina New Orleans, who risks his job to help a local man find his lost dog. Based on true events and filmed in New Orleans just months after the hurricane, Godshall wants "Low And Behold" to give people a chance to connect with the city in a vital way.
"I hope that people can get into the story—the story is the way to get into this world—and hopefully it can make you look at your surroundings in a new way. I think everyone felt pretty connected to New Orleans when Katrina hit, watching the news. People felt it was happening to everyone. And I think that feeling kind of went away, as time went on," the director told EW in 2007. "And that’s not really a criticism of anyone, it’s just a fact. But the thing is, the people there are still really feeling it. And political slogans and money are not gonna cure this problem. What’s going to help is people opening up and embracing the people who are hurting. People lost everything. They lost loved ones, they lost their homes, they lost everything they owned, everything they identified with. And unless you’ve been through that, it’s hard to relate to. I can’t relate to that. What do you say to an 88-year-old man who’s lost everything he’s worked for all his life? Hopefully our story—I mean, maybe people just enjoy the film, have some kind of enjoyable experience. Maybe it’ll open their mind a little bit."
"Low And Behold" hits iTunes on August 18th with Amazon Instant Video, Microsoft Xbox, Sony Entertainment Network, SundanceNOW, VUDU, and YouTube to follow. For more details, check out the official website.