At Irvine Spectrum Center IMAX Theater through March 8
When filming began for “Hurricane on the Bayou,” Greg MacGillivray envisioned a Cajun-inspired wild ride through the wetlands of Louisiana along with a warning about what effect the disappearing wetlands might have on cities such as New Orleans during a severe hurricane. With almost eerie prescience, they simulated a category 5 hurricane using Hollywood techniques to illustrate the potential calamity and finished filming in June 2005.
Three months later, Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc along the Gulf Coast. MacGillivray realized they had a unique chance to show the world the heart-wrenching reality of the before, during and after impact of Katrina on the city and the surrounding wetlands and went to work re-shooting portions of the film.
The result is a poignant look at the way an entire ecosystem is disappearing before our eyes,and possibly taking New Orleans with it.
The film follows four musicians through the pre-hurricane bayous, the hurricane and its impact on the people, the city and the surrounding environment.
Narrated by Meryl Streep, “Hurricane on the Bayou” uses the region’s music to illustrate the energy, despair and hope among the region’s people.
It begins with scenes of frolicking alligators set to Cajun classics, then switches to the history of New Orleans, which grew from an untamed swamp into a city known for its unique culture and music. But the city’s growth also led to its destruction. Levees designed to protect farmers prevented Mississippi River silt from being deposited in the wetlands. Navigation canals allowed saltwater into the bayous and killed off vegetation that anchored the soil. As that natural barrier protecting the city eroded, it became more vulnerable to hurricanes like Katrina, whose images were indelibly imprinted on the American psyche in 2005.
The hurricane scenes,some simulated with the help of scientists,illustrate the fury of the storm and its haunting aftermath with original footage and stories told through the eyes of the musicians. It shows the decimating effects on the wildlife population, which lost thousands of young. But it ends with a glimmer of hope as people plant anchoring mangrove trees, discover surviving alligators and begin the long journey back for the Gulf Coast.
“Hurricane on the Bayou” does not address the politics and controversies surrounding the disaster that was Katrina,nor was it intended to. But the film was shown to Congress before a vote on a wetlands preservation bill. The bill passed. MacGillivray’s hope is that the film will inspire viewers in the same way and call attention to our disappearing wetlands and our fragile interdependence with the surrounding environment.
“People love the natural world, but they need to know what (action) they can take to preserve it,” he said.
,Sandi Cain
