Product Details

• Actors: Kimberly Rivers Roberts, Scott Roberts
• Directors: Tia Lessin, Carl Deal
• Producers: Tia Lessin, Carl Deal
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Zeitgeist Films
• DVD Release Date: August 25, 2009
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0027EU2S2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,699 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Trouble the Water" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

There have been other good films documenting the Hurricane Katrina disaster, but producer-directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s Trouble the Water tells the story from a point of view that’s unusual, if not unique: from the inside out. That perspective is provided by Scott and Kimberly Roberts, a young couple from New Orleans’ Ninth Ward who are the central figures in this harrowing but ultimately uplifting drama. On August 28, 2005, two days before Katrina came to town, Kimberly (also an aspiring rapper whose stage name is Black Kold Madina), started shooting footage with her own video camera. “I’m showing… that we did have a world before the storm came,” she says, and she keeps at it even as the hurricane forces her, Scott, and other family members to hole up in the attic as the rain, wind, and floodwaters take their toll (“We’re truly under siege,” Kimberly reports. “We’re barely living up here”). They eventually find temporary refuge elsewhere, but two weeks later, having lost a grandmother and an uncle in the storm, the couple returns to their neighborhood, now accompanied by professional filmmakers. The images here are striking--not just their horror at seeing what’s become of their home, but also their delight at finding a couple of their dogs still alive, or Kimberly’s joy and relief as she recovers a photo of her mother, who died of AIDS when Kim was 13. And while one can certainly sense their despair, helplessness, and resignation (the government’s appallingly slow and inept response does not go unnoticed), there’s very little anger--even when the officers at a nearby Naval base, where there’s plenty of room, turn them away--and a surprising amount of optimism. “I’m still here,” Kimberly says, “looking for a better tomorrow.” Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke remains the definitive and most comprehensive Katrina documentary, but for a more personal approach, Trouble the Water (which includes several of Roberts’ hardcore, profanity-laced raps on the soundtrack) is highly recommended. --Sam Graham

Product Description

TROUBLE THE WATER - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Doc!, June 2, 2009

By 

Maybird (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trouble the Water (DVD)

Trouble the Water deserves all of the hype surrounding it: Sundance, Gotham Awards, the Academy Awards-- these nominations and wins came for a reason. I saw a free screening of this film in Central Park where the filmmakers, distribution company, and the subjects of the documentary came to promote the film to an audience that normally wouldn't be exposed to independent documentaries. The reception of the film was incredible, and the documentary itself was very moving. It really gives a human face and a closer look at Katrina other than the news footage seen on TV at the time. Zeitgeist films picked up the documentary World Cinema Documentary winner from this year's Sundance and after catching a preview screening I can say that this is a company that knows how to pick its documentaries. Afghan Star, which follows four competitors competing on Afghanistan's Pop Idol competition, is being released in late June. Keep an eye out for this documentary-- the public is finally getting more access to these incredible films that are not only entertaining but also educational!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing and graceful., April 29, 2009

By 

A. L. Smith "AmyLuLu" (memphis, tennessee United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trouble the Water (DVD)

Kimberly...God bless you and your family. Thank you for having the courage to speak the truth and be a witness to the facts. Every American should watch this film. The only thing more beautiful than Kimberly's heart are her rhymes. I will be buying your CD as soon as I get paid. May God always smile when He says your name. Peace.

P.S.

This film is currently being shown on HBO and HBO On Demand. The review is for the HBO airing in April 2009.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opening and moving doc, June 26, 2009

By 

B. Singer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trouble the Water (DVD)

I saw Trouble the Water at a packed screening a couple months ago. As someone who doesn't know anyone directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, I found the film to be very eye-opening, even though I had already seen Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke." The film includes haunting amateur video from Kim Roberts as she and her husband Scott stay in New Orleans while the hurricane hits. The film's story does not stop with the end of the hurricane. Rather, the storm is just the beginning. Filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal follow Kim and Scott on their journey out of New Orleans (and back again), as they share their story, deal with the tragedy and loss caused by the storm, and begin a new life. Kim is the true star the film, a talented aspiring rapper who proves herself as a hero by helping her family, friends, and neighbors, survive the storm and its devastation. I would highly recommend this film to everyone, whether you were affected by Katrina or know little about it.