Be carried behind
today’s headlines on a journey deep into the
heart of Louisiana with Hurricane on the Bayou
underwritten by Benjamin Olewine, III Family, in
Select Medical IMAX Theater at Whitaker Center.
This powerful moving giant screen film unlike, any
other, offers an emotional, music-driven ode to
the vital swamps and undying spirit of New Orleans.
A spokesperson from
the Olewine family said, “Hurricane on
the Bayou is about many things that are important
to our family: loss of the wetlands, conservation,
a region’s cultural diversity and ultimately
the strength of the human spirit in overcoming tragedy
and a commitment to preserving a region’s
heritage. We are proud to be associated with such
a riveting film.”
Originally conceived
as a cautionary tale about Louisiana’s wetlands
and the consequences of a hypothetical hurricane
hitting New Orleans, Hurricane on the Bayou began
production in early 2005. The filmmakers simulated
an apocalyptic hurricane, complete with recreated
scenes where flooded homeowners burst through rooftops
to get to safety. When Hurricane Katrina hit just
four months after production wrapped, the filmmakers
were forced to rewrite their story and raced to
New Orleans to record the powerful giant screen
images of Katrina’s aftermath.
Filmed before and
after the unprecedented devastation of Hurricane
Katrina and featuring state-of-the-art computer
generated special effects depicting the storm’s
fury, Hurricane on the Bayou brings into
focus the startling loss of Louisianna’s rapidly
disappearing coastal wetlands—New Orleans’
first line of defense against deadly storms. Tragically,
these wetlands are eroding into the sea at the speed
of one acre every thirty minutes, or a land area
the size of Manhattan every year.
Directed by two-time
Academy Award-nominated director Greg MacGillvray,
Hurricane on the Bayou stars legendary
New Orleans music producer, songwriter and Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Allen Toussaint;
blues singer/guitarist and long-time wetlands activist
Tab Benoit; 14-year-old fiddling prodigy Amanda
Shaw; and zydeco accordion master Chubby Carrier.
Also appearing in the film is Marva Wright, New
Orleans’ “Queen of Gospel.” Through
their eyes, the tragedy the city faced during Katrina
and its burning hopes for a revitalized future unfold.
“Hurricane
on the Bayou is not just the moving story of
how four remarkable musicians survived Katrina,
and are facing the future, nor it is just the story
of how the destruction of the wetlands is wreaking
devastation for both humans and animals,”
said Greg MacGillivray. "I think it is really
about the tremendous value of New Orleans and Louisiana
to our nation. I hope we reveal what a treasure
this city is—a wild swamped land that turned
into a fantastic center for music, food and the
enjoyment of life itself. To lose New Orleans would
be an unthinkable tragedy.”
Hurricane on the Bayou is produced and
distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films and executive
produced by Audubon Nature Institute with major
funding from the State of Louisiana. Presented by
The Weather Channel. Presented locally by Benjamin
Olewine III Family. Fueled by Louisiana’s
astonishing array of musical talent, the film’s
release will be accompanied by a soundtrack featuring
such artists as Aaron Neville, Dr. John, Fats Domino,
Mavis Staples, The Rebirth Brass Band and Zydeco
Force. Proceeds from the CD will go to support Audubon
Nature Institute’s programs to teach people
of all ages about the importance of saving Louisiana’s
vanishing wetlands.
