Fifth Assignment

Hurricane Katrina Stories Cyber-Assignment

Friday, August 29, 2008 is the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the worse natural and man made disaster in this century. Bodies are still being recovered, people are still homeless, children are still lost. What is more unfortunate is our government's response or lack of response to its citizens in crisis. We watched a film this morning, Second Line. Watch this video of an interview with directors: http://www.filmcatcher.com/festivals/Sundance_Film_Festival/day_2/67/We brainstormed about the piece, then three students shared their personal experiences and stories of escape and loss or family, friends, and property. The directors said they were looking at stereotypes and stigma. Think about the story, the characters, what happens when the men are hired. Think about the symbols: teddy bear and machete. What emotions are invoked by the betrayal MacArthur feels when he his savings are stolen, yet he returns the savings of his employer? Talk about the lighting, music, and landscape and how this adds to the feeling of despair, disaster and doom. What is the movie about? Katrina's aftermath is the theme, yet there are universal concepts which resonate throughout the film, such as honor, and love; kinship and pride, honesty and exploitation. Does the employer get what's coming to him? Should MacArthur have beaten his employer up? Was he dead, or just injured? What is the proof for either scenario? What else could the men have done differently? Was the ending surprising, yet, realistic?Post your response here, no later than Friday, August 29, 11:50 p.m. You can also share your personal stories about Hurricane Katrina. If you want to share links to music and videos that show the hip hop communities response, you can do so also. The primary assignment though is the written response to the film: Second Line. For those not familiar with the term, Second Line, it has to do with the "death march." In New Orleans, the band marches through town, pulling the hearse with the body...the mood is sad, somber, and then after the funeral the same band dances the family back home playing uplifting and celebratory music. Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6j_Fkh6YuIWith this in mind, think about the two brothers as they walked down the road at twilight after the murders. It was as if they were participants in a second line funeral march. Visit Film Notes from http://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/Second_Line.htmlShort Student CompetitionThis is a test [SSPLI] 2007 20 min Short Narrative Directed by: John Magary USA New York PremiereInterests: Drama http://www.cufilmfest.com/films/second_line.html Cast & CreditsDirector: John Magary Principal Cast: Al Thompson, J.D. Williams, Dane Rhodes, Karen Pritchett, Saida Arrika Ekulona, Brittany Parker Screenwriter: John Magary Producers: Geoffrey Quan, Myna Joseph, Nelson Kim Director of Photography: Chris Teague Production Designer: Mara LePere-Schloop Music: Kai Gross Program NotesAfter MacArthur's savings are stolen from his FEMA trailer, he and his cousin Natt take work gutting a house. The Second Line was a national finalist for the Student Academy Awards® and has played at Sundance, SXSW, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.