Spike Lee blasts Katrina response before documentary premier

[cal04]

Film director Spike Lee had harsh words for official responses to Hurricane Katrina ahead of the New Orleans premiere of his four-hour documentary about the killer storm.

"What happened here was a criminal act," the Oscar-nominated director of "Do the Right Thing" and this year's "Inside Man," said.

"I would like to see somebody go to jail," for the failure of the city's levee system, Lee told reporters hours before the film's debut at a downtown sports arena.

(snip)
Many residents interviewed for the film said they believe government officials bombed the levee to save prosperous areas like the French Quarter from flooding, a rumor that has been discredited by experts but which has taken hold among many of the city's poorest.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060816/en_afp/usstormneworleansfilm_060816223016

[EFerrari]

1. Never forget the Gulf Coast.

Thank you, cal04

[babylonsister]

2. I can't wait to see this! HBO, August 21st. And I agree with Spike:

"I would like to see somebody go to jail."

[villager]

7. it's good, strong stuff -- you are moved and outraged

by the last hour...

The negligence -- including the ongoing attitudes of the Feds and the large insurance companies -- would be eye opening, if it weren't already so expected...

[panader0]

3. I don't know all the facts, but I would bet that the failure of the levee

was because of poor construction due to graft, bought-off inspectors, cheap materials, etc. Isn't that true for Boston's Big Dig too? If the Dutch can build a levee system that works, so can we. I think Spike is right that someone should go to jail-bush! I think the response would have been different in a rich white area. Remember what Barb Bush said of the refugees-The hardships shouldn't bother them too much, they're poor, they should be used to it. (paraphrased)

[itzamirakul]

4. Spike usually really speaks his mind quite fearlessly. I think he

might be just a tiny bit less candid than he was when he was younger, single and not yet a parent but still, like Malcolm X, his truth is so factual.

Thank goodness for voices like his and Michael Moore's and Greg Palast and others like them who are more willing to speak the truth than most of our elected officials are.

[sproutster]

5. God Katrina was my awakening... I can't even read the article w/o tears

I still feel it and I was no where near there. I mean for gods sake, I told my son about it the night before saying it might be historic. I don't even believe I thought that - I had no clue. Then the suffering... day after day after day. The blame, the hate, the meaness and MORE SUFFERING -- Where the fuck was the help?

I woke up during that storm. I became hypervigilent after part one of the Oprah special. OMFG they were putting dying people in the morgue to die -- your last moments surrounded by corpses!! WTF!!! And one man with a dog. Again the tears come.

[Jamastiene]

6. I would like to see somebody go to jail for

keeping those people out of the town of Gretna. That Gretna police force needs to be locked up and called traitors to their own country for what they did.

[Withywindle]

8. I'm looking forward to seeing this, if that's the right phrase

It's going to be powerful. Hard to watch and powerful.

I'm glad Spike Lee took this on.