Athens, Ga. – The Georgia Museum of Art hosts “Kamp Katrina,” an independent film by David Redmon, as part of the Southern Arts Federation’s Southern Circuit Tour on March 12, at 7 p.m. in the M. Smith Griffith Auditorium.
Redmon documents the lives of 10 people who find shelter in the backyard of Ms. Pearl and Mr. Cross, a couple living in the Upper 9th Ward who opened their home in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.
Pearl and Cross attempt to turn their backyard, named Kamp Katrina by its residents, into some semblance of a normal home for those living there, but when the reality of the tragic events settles in, stress, despair and helplessness create opportunities for domestic violence and drug and alcohol abuse.
Redmon and his co-director, Ashley Sabin, follow the lives of Kamp Katrina residents for six months and reveal a truth that is often hard to watch. Ultimately, a story of both hope and despair, success and failure, “Kamp Katrina” looks at both human generosity, through Pearl, and the helplessness that still exists in parts of New Orleans.
Described by Variety as a “worthy addition to the steadily increasing array of [documentaries] about life and strife in post-Katrina New Orleans,” the film allows viewers to experience the despair and honesty with which the hurricane survivors tell their story. “Kamp Katrina” showcases the everyday lives of the 10 survivors and the struggle it takes to live through even one day.
“Kamp Katrina” is Redmon’s second documentary. He made his directorial debut at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival with “Mardi Gras: Made in China,” which was nominated for the festival’s grand jury prize. “Mardi Gras” was theatrically released in 10 cities and earned a spot in more than 200 festivals and schools. Redmon is currently working on another documentary entitled “Intimidad,” which focuses on the life of a young woman in Mexico who makes bras for Victoria’s Secret.
Redmon will discuss “Kamp Katrina” at the screening on March 12, at the Georgia Museum of Art.
For more information, see www.uga.edu/gamuseum or call 706.542.GMOA (4662).
The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers is a program of the Southern Arts Federation (SAF), a not-for-profit regional arts organization that has been making a positive difference in the arts throughout the South since 1975. SAF creates partnerships and collaborations; assists in the professional development of artists, arts organizations and arts professionals; presents, promotes and produces Southern arts and cultural programming; and advocates for the arts and arts education. The organization works in partnership with the nine state arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. SAF is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), foundations, corporations, individuals and member states.
Partial support for the exhibitions and programs at the Georgia Museum of Art is provided by the Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. The Council is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Individuals, foundations and corporations provide additional museum support through their gifts to the Arch Foundation and the University of Georgia foundation. The Georgia Museum of Art is located in the Performing and Visual Arts Complex on the East Campus of the University of Georgia. The address is 90 Carlton Street, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602. Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m., Sunday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. and closed Mondays. Museum Shop Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4:45 p.m., Sunday from 1 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. and Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 8:45 p.m.
