'Treme' actress narrates NBC special on Katrina aftermath

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

NCC presents Presbyterian-produced documentary
On long-term disaster recover in New Orleans

>Film narrated by Khandi Alexander

New Orleans, August 25, 1010 -- The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 
2005  was felt around the nation. Images of a flooded New Orleans and 
decimated c oastal communities overwhelmed our televisions and 
newspapers, and they sti ll often appear. The death and destruction 
became the focal point of natura l tragedy, and are still what most 
remember.  A new documentary aims to cha nge that.
 
"Coming Home: Hurricane Katrina 5 Years Later," directed by David 
Barnhart,  focuses on one of Katrina's more intriguing human 
phenomena. Five years af ter the storm, many residents and New 
Orleans natives are still trying to m ake it back home. For many, 
this was made possible not by government grants  or the natural 
retreat of the waters, but by volunteers. "Coming Home," na rrated by 
actress Khandi Alexander of HBO's "Treme," delves into the relati 
onships that have formed between these volunteers and the grateful 
resident s they've helped.
 
The documentary -- alternately heart wrenching and deeply inspiring 
-- is p resented by the National Council of Churches and produced by 
the Presbyteri an Church (USA), on many NBC stations beginning August 
29.  (If your loca l station isn't carrying this important show, call 
the station management a nd tell them how much you'd like to see it.)
 
The documentary was funded by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), 
the l ong-term relief arm of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The long 
term nature  of the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort is the central 
point of the film,  as well as of the work of PDA. The film will be 
broadcast on select NBC net work affiliates beginning Sunday, August 
29 and will be available to the af filiates for the following six 
months through a program established with th e support of the 
Interfaith Broadcasting Commission.

Plagued by insurance policy fine print, scam artists and the sheer 
lack of  man power, many Gulf Coast residents were not able to get 
their homes in ha bitable shape after the storm hit. Roofs fell 
apart, walls rotted and hasti ly-made repairs didn't meet inspection 
requirements. "Coming Home" sheds li ght on stories the news media 
has not covered for several years -- and the  long term consequences 
of one of the storm. 
 
As one of the most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history, the 
impac t of Hurricane Katrina is still being felt even five years 
later. Total est imated property damage from the storm topped $81 
billion, with $105 billion  of federal dollars spent so far on the 
recovery. Katrina claimed 1,836 liv es, and left approximately one 
million people displaced from their homes.
 
Today, thousands remain homeless, with many still hoping to return 
from nea rby cities like Houston and Dallas. Of those who've made it 
finally, the fi lm aims to show not only their struggle to do so, but 
the people who help t hem overcome the inherent challenges.  The film 
features a woman about to g ive up on rebuilding her home after being 
scammed by a local contractor, bu t who serendipitously meets a 
volunteer who lends his own toolset to the pr oject.
 
But the documentary also shows the impact of the recovery effort on 
volunte ers, in many cases people from elsewhere who joined a church, 
mission or co mmunity service group, only to have their lives 
permanently changed by the  experience.
 
"We wanted to show a bigger story -- a story about relationships 
formed out  of unimaginable disaster, where in fact out of something 
awful emerges som ething good," Barnhart says.
 
Barnhart's signature process -- allowing the film's subjects to be 
actively  engaged in the filming process -- was employed with this 
film. Barnhart in terviewed his subjects on camera and allowed them 
to watch that footage lat er, asking them to further comment on their 
own reaction. He also talked wi th them off camera at length to gain 
deeper perspective and allow them to b uild confidence and 
understanding about the documentary.

Wesley M. "Pat" Pattillo, NCC Associate General Secretary, Justice, 
Advocac y and Communication, represents the NCC on the Interfaith 
Broadcasting Comm ission, which plans many high-quality network 
programs similar to this one  each year. Shirley Whipple Struchen is 
the NCC's Coordinator of Electronic  Media Programming.
 
For more information about the film and to view the trailer, visit 
the film 's Facebook page. To obtain a screener DVD or to schedule an 
interview with  David Barnhart, please contact Pamela Burdine at 
(502) 569-5839 disaster@p cusa.org.

>CONTACT:
>Tim Lawson
>(502) 753-2904
>tim@tandemagency.com                          

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of 
Christ  in the USA has been the leading force for ecumenical 
cooperation among Chri stians in the United States. The NCC's 36 
member faith groups -- from a wid e spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, 
Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African  American and Living Peace 
churches -- include 45 million persons in more t han 100,000 local 
congregations in communities across the nation.

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 
646-853-4212 ( cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org