NOMA hosts a screening of director Edward Buckles Jr.’s Katrina Babies, a documentary offering an intimate look at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on the youth of New Orleans. Following the screening, Buckles will discuss the film in a conversation with Chike Ozah, the film’s executive producer, and Simone Immanuel, one of NOMA’s Creative Assembly Cohort members, in remembrance of the hurricane’s 19th anniversary.

This event is free and open to the public. Limited seating will be available. Seating is first come, first serve.

About the Documentary

Years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, an entire generation still grapples with the lifelong impact of having their childhood redefined by tragedy. New Orleans–born filmmaker Edward Buckles Jr., who was 13 years old during Katrina and its initial aftermath, spent seven years documenting the stories of his peers who survived the storm as children, using his community’s tradition of oral storytelling to open a door for healing and to capture the strength and spirit of his city.

Katrina Babies details the close-knit families and vibrant communities of New Orleans whose lives were uprooted by the 2005 disaster. These American children who were airlifted out of the rising waters, evacuated from their homes to refugee-like centers, or placed in makeshift, temporary living situations, have been neglected. As families were tasked with reintegrating into new communities, having experienced loss, displacement, and lack of support from government officials, the children were left to process their trauma in a wounded, fractured city.

Buckles raises his camera to elevate the voices of his city; utilizing confessional-style footage, home movies, animation, harrowing archival footage, and candid interviews with Katrina survivors, Buckles unearths a reservoir of grief and suppressed emotion. Through these moving, first-hand accounts, Katrina Babies journeys toward healing, not just from the most destructive storm in US history, but also from the multi-generational traumas of being black and disenfranchised in America.  In the face of systemic racism, government neglect, and the unprocessed pain of family separations, the children of Katrina are left to chart their own path toward healing.

About Edward Buckles Jr.

Edward Buckles Jr. is the director of Katrina Babies.

Buckles is a son of New Orleans. Buckles’ work calls his audience towards remembrance and to see the beauty in imperfections. The award-winning filmmaker, director, and producer continues to find inspiration in his people and innovative ways to share the stories of Black communities that would otherwise be lost in the passing of time.

Buckles’ film Katrina Babies was shortlisted for a 2023 Academy Award. His production company, House of the Young Ent. is a beacon in the New Orleans’ arts community and a platform for the culture of the city. Buckles’ was featured on DOC NYC’s 40 under 40 in 2022 and was awarded the New Orleans Film Society’s Rising Star Award.

About Chike Ozah

Chike Ozah is the executive producer of Katrina Babies.

One-half of the award-winning directing duo Coodie & Chike, Ozah has made a mark on the film industry with his innovative storytelling and approach. A New Orleans native, Chike first collaborated with Coodie on the iconic music video “Through the Wire,” which played a pivotal role in launching Kanye West’s career, and Ozah has worked with other high-profile artists including the Black Keys, Joey Bada$$, Christina Aguilera, Mos Def, and Erykah Badu.

Ozah also executive produced Showtime’s NYC Point Gods, directed by Sam Eliad and Akin Omotoso, which delves into the legendary basketball culture of New York City, and his upcoming project, Meal Ticket, directed by Chicago-based duo Corey Colvin & Carlton Sabbs, highlights the prestigious McDonald’s All American Game, continuing his tradition of supporting emerging filmmakers. Coodie & Chike’s work on the three-act Netflix docuseries Jeen-Yuhs earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Documentary/Nonfiction Series and won Best Music Documentary and Best Docu-Series at the 2022 Grierson Awards.

About Simone Immanuel

Simone Immanuel is a multidisciplinary artist and writer from New Orleans, Louisiana. She attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and graduated with her BFA in theatre from Ball State University. She recently finished the Broadway Advocacy Coalition’s Artivism Fellowship and made her Off-Broadway debut in the play 7 Minutes by Stefano Massini. Immanuel’s play I’m Gonna Let it Shine was a Kennedy Center John Cauble Award finalist.  Recently, Immanuel worked as an Artist at Work Resident with the Ashé Cultural Arts Center and the Office of Art and Film. She worked on projects that highlight the positive impacts of artistic civic engagement in her community. Immanuel’s goal is to use her unique experiences to show why representation is one of the most important purposes of art.

Directed by Edward Buckles, Jr. of House of the Young Entertainment; produced by Edward Buckles, Jr, Audrey Rosenberg of Invisible Pictures, Rebecca Teitel of TIME Studios; executive produced by Coodie & Chike of Creative Control, Ian Orefice, Loren Hammonds, Mike Beck and Alexa Conway of TIME Studios, Eileen Tavarez and Jess Jacobs of Invisible Pictures; written by: Edward Buckles, Jr, Luther Clement-Lam, Audrey Rosenberg. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Sara Rodriguez.