Land of Opportunity: Questions about the Future of New Orleans and Beyond

As long as we have known her, Luisa Dantas was making her documentary about post-Katrina, New Orleans. Now, on the heels of the 5th Anniversary of the disaster, she is releasing her documentary film, "Land of Opportunity". A great trailer for the film can be seen on the Land of Opportunity website.

Luisa spent a lot of time attending the meetings which planned the reconstruction after the disaster. She spent a lot of time listening. She attended the community meetings and got to know many of the passions which guide New Orleans' determination to exist.

Her documentary will raise questions which we should all be asking about how our lives may be affected by disaster. It will ask us to become more aware of how major events such as natural or man made disasters, war, economic crisis etc can be major shifts upsetting the lives of individuals, communities, entire peoples, even the planet.

Today's headlines described economic shudders felt globally, climate changes gone unnoticed, wars without certain end, continued environmental degradation. Luisa's film takes one relatively small event - the human and nature caused destruction of an economically insignificant city in which mostly peoples' communities were severely affected. Yet, it transposes these events onto us all. Could this type of event, could this type of disaster, affect your community? If something like a Katrina hurricane happened in your country, how would the community that you live in recover? What makes for a resilient community? What are efforts governments and others can support or enhance following disasters to grow human restoration, community engagement, and cultural resiliency?

A free community screening of the movie, "Land of Opportunity" by Luisa Dantas is an appropriate way to view this film and begin these important conversations. If you can't be in New Orleans for the sneak peek - make certain to support it coming to your town.

Happening Here: An Evening of Film,Theater, Poetry, and Food

Featuring Poet Sunni Patterson, The New Orleans Day Labor Theater of Revolution, and a SNEAK PEEK of the documentary film Land of Opportunity!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14TH • 5PM-9PM • WARREN EASTON HIGH SCHOOL 3019 CANAL ST • FREE EVENT • FOOD AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

Doors at 5PM, Program begins at 6PM

This event is organized in partnership with JoLu Productions, New Orleans Video Access Center, PATOIS: The New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival, The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, Survivors Village, and the Louisiana Justice Institute. Land of Opportunity is a multi-platform documentary project that follows people from different walks of life through the last four and a half years of the reconstruction of this city. During this time, footage and short pieces have been used as tools for organizing and education and even featured in art exhibits in New Orleans and across the country. After years of filming, we and our partners want to share this work with our friends and family: the entire New Orleans community! Please join us as we present this evening of performances and film designed to inspire, educate, and galvanize.