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When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts is a 2006 documentary film directed by Spike Lee about the devastation of New Orleans, Louisiana following the failure of the levees during Hurricane Katrina. It was filmed in late August and early September 2005, and premiered at the New Orleans Arena on August 16, 2006 and was first aired on HBO the following week. The television premiere aired in two parts on August 21 and 22, 2006 on HBO. It has been described by Sheila Nevins, chief of HBO's documentary unit, as "one of the most important films HBO has ever made." The title is a reference to the blues tune, "When the Levee Breaks", by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie, about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.
Original Release
08/16/2006 on hbo
US Release
08/16/2006
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Darleen Asevedo | Self |
| Jay Asevedo | Self |
| Shelton Shakespear Alexander | Self |
| Lee Arnold | Self |
| Gralen Bryant Banks | Self |
| John Barry | Self |
| Robert Bea | Self |
| Wilhelmina Blanchard | Self |
| Terence Blanchard | Self |
| Kathleen Blanco | Self |
| # | Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Part One | Monday, 21 August 2006 |
| 2 | Part Two | Tuesday, 22 August 2006 |
| 3 | Part Three | Tuesday, 01 August 2006 |
| 4 | Part Four | Tuesday, 01 August 2006 |
| 5 | Epilogue | Wednesday, 01 August 2007 |
Directors
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Darleen Asevedo | Self |
| Jay Asevedo | Self |
| Shelton Shakespear Alexander | Self |
| Lee Arnold | Self |
| Gralen Bryant Banks | Self |
| John Barry | Self |
| Robert Bea | Self |
| Wilhelmina Blanchard | Self |
| Terence Blanchard | Self |
| Kathleen Blanco | Self |
| Douglas Brinkley | Self |
| Joseph Bruno | Self |
| Karen Carter | Self |
| Louis Cataldie | Self |
| Judith Morgan | Self |
| Cheryl Livaudais | Self |
| Will Chittenden | Self |
| Eddie Compass | Self |
| Harry Cook | Self |
| Sarah Dean | Self |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Sheila Nevins | Executive Producer |
| Spike Lee | Producer |
| Jacqueline Glover | Producer |
| Butch Robinson | Producer |
| Sam Pollard | Producer |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 2007 | Emmy | Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming | Nominated |
| 2007 | Emmy | Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming | Won |
| 2007 | Emmy | Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming | Won |
| 2007 | Emmy | Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking | Won |
| 2007 | Emmy | Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) | Nominated |
| 2007 | Emmy | Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) | Nominated |
