About the Film

Acclaimed New Orleans native Wendell Pierce (Ray, The Wire) narrates this gritty look at the delicate relationship between government and citizen in the wake of disaster. Filmed on location in the small city of Baker, Louisiana, Renaissance Village follows the personal struggles of five characters to reclaim their lives after living nearly three years in a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) trailer park. After allegations of formaldehyde poisoning force the park to close, residence must leave to find a new home.

Usage

Home and private use only. May not be used in classrooms, circulated in any libraries, or exhibited (commercially or non-commercially) to the public. Purchase orders will not be accepted for home and private use purchases of this video.

Visit the official film website, www.rvthefilm.com

Critical Praise

“Renaissance Village is a great insight into the clash between social issues of homelessness, hunger, and poverty, and the public policy issues of housing and disaster recovery…I highly recommend it to everyone.”
Michael Brown, Former Under Secretary of Homeland Security & Director of FEMA


“[Renaissance Village] does a great job of bringing the viewer into the complexity of the aftermath of Katrina… It is only through documentaries such as this that we can work to make sure history does not repeat itself.”
Karen Profita, President/CEO, Capital Area United Way


“Through the film's sensitive, multi-faceted portrayal, we get to really know a cross-section of displaced New Orleanians struggling to achieve our most basic human goal: a home…Renaissance Village is a compelling reminder that the story of Hurricane Katrina didn't end when the floodwaters receded.”
Josh Neufeld, writer/artist of A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge (Pantheon Graphic Novels, 2009)