Interview with Spike Lee, Geeta Gandbhir and Sam Pollard

While Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke (itself a Peabody winner in 2006) was the most significant filmic reconstruction of the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina, his follow-up, If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don‚Äòt Rise, actually broadens the scope. Shot to commemorate the five-year anniversary of the storm‚Äòs historic assault on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast (and the widely recognized governmental shortfalls that followed), the four hour film revisits many of the faces from its predecessor: New Orleans East resident Phyllis Montana-Leblanc recites the poem that gives the film its name, rapper Shelton “Shakespeare” Alexander offers his perspective in song, and former mayor Ray Nagin, former governor Kathleen Blanco, and disgraced FEMA chief Michael Brown are offered the opportunity to reassess their legacies.

Read the complete winner’s citation here: Link