When the Levees Broke, 2006, by Spike Lee

[thenewboo]

i always wanted to visit NEW ORLEANS ,I WILL EVENTUALLY , very interesting city, the food ,music & culture i want to see

[FalseFlag369]

An excellent film! Another one on the subject of NOLA and the Army Corps of Engineers is: America Betrayed.

[HoseahGikungu]

what's the jazz being played 3:10

[castletriglav]

I watched the entire film....and laughed my ass off at how silly it is. Spike Lee still can't make a film that doesn't suck.

[BookishBirdy]

Spike lee is amazing. One of my favourite film makers.

[Tzarlo]

Spike lee can't be racist he is a victim of racism. Racism is a system of power, not an attitude no non-white person can be racist. How can you be the victim and perpetrator of the same crime at the exact same time? It's not logical. Only people who classify themselves as white can be racist because according to the evidence they are the only ones that have the power and ability to be.

[FionnMarr]

@Tzarlo Sorry Tzarlo, I have to pull you up on that. Racism is the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. It is also the discrimination or prejudice based on that belief. It is a belief and the action that stems from that belief. As to "Only whites can be racist?". That is incorrect to. There are well documented cases of racism in many non-white populaces. Too many to list in fact.

[DeathofAchilles]

@Tzarlo "Racism" is the belief that different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination.

Your very claim that only white individuals can be racist, is racist in itself.

[philanderadriaan]

Anybody know whats the jazz song at the ending credits? Or is it only made for this film?

[PhyllisMLeblanc]

Phyllis Montana-Leblanc here from New Orleans. I don't respond to folks who call Spike a racist. He tells the stories that most won't, OUR story and also the stories of other races as well. If you want to know what we went through, check out my memoir: "NOT JUST THE LEVEES BROKE" MY STORY DURING AND AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA. I SPEAK IT LIKE IT HAPPENED, FIRST HAND. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, SEE ME IN HBO'S "TREME" I'M "DESIREE" TO WENDELL PIERCE'S ("BUNK" ON "THE WIRE:) "ANTOINE BATISTE. PEACE.

[beckybell25]

@PhyllisMLeblanc  Wow Phyllis I've seen that documentary MANY times. You were on of my favs. I am so sorry for what all of you went through. Just visited N.O. for the last 4 days. Amazing city. Still so much to be done. Just heartbreaking. I fell in love with the city on our first day there.

[Blueeyedsoul517]

harry belafonte makes everything sound cool - even just saying his name

[MazBarSuperStar]

Does anyone know what the name of this kind of music and dancing is?

Great documentary - I saw it a while ago and it isn't any less moving watching it for a second time.

[roeroe305]

the man dancing reminds me so much of Doc from everybody hates chris the owner of the market lol

[333TGINN333]

After watching this I have about a thosuand words wanting to come out but can't find any. Scratch that........ CRAZY!

[deitchy87]

I'm watching if god is willing the tide won't rise this a doc that follows up to this one and i seen some shit that is equivalent to seeing some one get shot close range in head (when they dumped the bodies in the ditch in Haiti) I was in horrific awe.... i see shit that happened with Katrina that shook my foundation even more with America and how we do things. Heard a man say this doc was racist and that couldn't be more far from the truth..spike put the facts up and thats all he did

[hendrix422]

New Orleans have nothing but the utmost respect for you. 5 years later and still going strong. HEART OUT TO NEW ORLEANS. G-D BLESS YOU! YOU ARE STRONGER THEN THE REST OF US!!!

[praetorian2150]

as sad and gutwrenching as this documentary was,their sense of camaraderie was downright epic 

[jacksoncohen]

I meant 2010...cont...

I'm sure Spike Lee made this to shed light on the struggles blacks faced after the storm, in an effort to help them. The problem, though, is this type spin does more damage than good. New Orleans is plagued by racism. This documentary throws gas on the fire. And the racism isn't white against black. It's color against color. It stems from ignorance and lack of progression. The Civil War is over. Isn't it?

[jacksoncohen]

The work he did is great. There was a world of time to leave the city. There were options for those without means. Many white people had no means. The problem, I think, is that we are having this conversation in 2009. My experience during and after the storm, despite what the media portrayed, was people helping people. It was the one time I noticed a colorblind city. So, yes, this portrayal is racist and inaccurate and harmful.

[jacksoncohen]

The work he did is great. There was a world of time to leave the city. There were options for those without means. Many white people had no means. The problem, I think, is that we are having this conversation in 2009. My experience during and after the storm, despite what the media portrayed, was people helping people. It was the one time I noticed a colorblind city. So, yes, this portrayal is racist and inaccurate and harmful.

[jacksoncohen]

This documentary is racist.

I lived through Katrina. We all had time to evacuate. We knew the dangers of staying home. Yes, it's devastating. This documentary, though, focuses on black struggles, black fears, black bodies. There would have been zero...zero deaths had people listened. The evacuation was mandatory. The government didn't blow the levies. White helped blacks. Blacks helped whites. This is touching but also unforgivably inaccurate.

[marchelle011]

@jacksoncohen hey. So u lived through Katrina. Amazing. I didnt but, i know ppl who did, i dont think this is racist. Yes i heard they had more than enough time to evacuate, but u have to think of the fact that a lot of people didnt have means to and most of those ppl being form the lower 9th ward were black and lower class. So how is it posible that they live, and u have to also understand that a lot of the people who chose to stay lived through hurrican Betsy and that was a cat. 5

[marchelle011]

@jacksoncohen so they thought they were going to be ok just like they were in the 60's when hurrican betsy hit New Orleans. About the whole Levee blowing, im not sure cuz like i said i wasnt there, but the ppl who believe it was blown like i said went through Betsy and when Betsy hit they did blow the levees to save a lot of the upper class homes. But Im glad to hear u didnt have to go through the storm.you should get the whole documentary. i have it, and i love the work he did. =D

[deitchy87]

@jacksoncohen i don't think it's racist he is just showing what happened before, during, and after katrina he showed how big business tried to rid places like the 9th ward so they can change the whole economic situation. I'm watching the second part "IF lord is willing the tide won't rise" and they didn't want to reopen charity hospital for some bull shit reason that wasn't true when they really wanted to rebuild it and possibly make it a private practice

[spike18234]

@magicman1215 Well apparently you did to dumbshit ha ha ha!!!!

[magicman1215]

@spike18234 WTF???????

[spike18234]

@magicman1215 I was pointing out your derogatory mark towards there spelling .

[Supaman0804]

I agree Spike Lee is far from a Racist... It's agreed that St. Bernard was flooded too so that lets you know when he speaks of the levees he's concerned about more than just the 9th ward... He doesn't care about black or white and trust neither does our government... He only cares about shedding light on this situation... and I'm sure most would agree given the turbulent times America has faced our government only cares about money...

[k1171502]

the fact is mother fuckers...George Bush allowed this disaster to happen. He wants to see blacks dead.

[halfsuperstar]

@k1171502 do your homework.... of all the presidents, george bush did the most for africa...i'm pretty sure if he wanted blacks dead he wouldn't of saved potentially millions of africans...

this journalist is known to "not appreciate" GW, but even he cant deny GW impact on Africa

google "george bush africa" and find the 4th link (an article on BBC's news page.

Hope it helps :)

[jnussbau]

dear spike lee, why don't you put your documentary online so people can actually watch it? it's been 3 years, i doubt you'll make anymore money off it. (ps. there is another documentary called "when the levees broke" on google videos which sucks)

[WhereTheHellisNat]

i don't think it's fair to call spike lee a racist, but rather a radical thinker. if racial tension exists of course someone's gonna pick up on it and exploit it as a theme/foundation for their work, because it's something they have picked up on and feel strongly about. and in fairness the government did blow up the levees in 1920/30 to save the rich area (spike lee even uses comments on how its mostly about wealth not race)

[kolgy1]

So called documentaries like this should be made by Racists like Spike Lee.He claims that the evil white men blew up the levies to kill blacks. He has absolutely no proof. He is a joke as a director and as a human being.

[TheGodson777]

hey guys ,

could anyone tell me where can I wath the entire documentary please. because I will have to write an essay on it in my socio class . thank you in advance :)

[marchelle011]

@TheGodson777 sorry i know u left this comment 6 months ago, but it does come on STARS or HBO like once every 2 months, or you can go to Best Buy and buy it for like $20 bucks now. i bought it from Best Buy like 3 yrs ago when it was like $60 bucks.

hope this helped

[nodcva]

an if u noticed hbo made sure not to air it again havent seen it since as many times as hbo repeats ish over an over they didnnt do that wit dis one too real for tv

[orangestarlitsky]

I think it is scheduled to air on the 13th and 14th...on HBO

[magog1138]

My whole family saw this on HBO when it first aired. I don't think I've every seen us all get so emotional like that before. It had to be the saddest documentary I have ever seen. T_T

[dlitedirector]

Terence Blanchard - Funeral Dirge

[Timo980]

Does anyone know what song is playing in the background when everyone is saying their name/location/title etc while in the picture frames?

[doctorj2u]

Hey, we got more racist than we need, but David now lives in the Czech republic.

[bds10181978]

You're an IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!

[uniquess]

Watch it again with the Director's commentary on!!

[catlu]

your mother

[MarieMelancolie]

ive been looking for this so long, thanks for this

[krypekeeper]

nvm. looks like c, the l part of the K is cut off

[krypekeeper]

they spell KATRINA wrong at 0:06.....dumb ass's

[catlu]

i think the only dumb azz is you, that is all you could come up with? it is obvious the K is cut off

[krypekeeper]

wow, way to come back a week later even after i corrected it and still say something, you pathetic piece of shit

[catlu]

your mother

[ewood1967]

yeah your momma

[Iamgramcracker]

Look closer. You can obviously see the "K"....it's kind of blurred, so I can see how it may have looked mispelled. I replayed it several times and it's definitely a K.

[DJStewiee]

hahahaha I know you said this 2 months ago, but you're an idiot! LOL!!

[BabyGirl031309]

This Movie was sooo good

[stitchmond3]

very powerful film

[bawasay]

Does anyone know who the Brass Band is? This really touches my heart, all that suffering of the people and the spirit of New orleans is still rising.