“Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time” Reveals The Strength And Resilience Of Katrina Survivors Who Became Heroes
In August, 2005, Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history, roared into southeastern Louisiana. It tore through the Gulf Coast with catastrophic power, driving a massive storm surge toward the city and the people of New Orleans. With no rescue in sight, the residents who were left to face the rising floodwaters alone became heroes, fighting to survive against unimaginable odds.
Now, as the world approaches the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, National Geographic will premiere HURRICANE KATRINA: RACE AGAINST TIME, a groundbreaking five-part documentary series that offers an unprecedented, heart-pounding look at the disaster directly from those who lived through it. The series will premiere on two evenings: the first three episodes will air back-to-back on Sunday 27 July; followed by the fourth and fifth episodes premiering on Sunday 3 August, on National Geographic (DStv 181 and StarTimes 220) from 21:00 (CAT) on both nights.
View the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO-tEo1j8FU&t=3s
Oscar®-winning producer Simon Chinn and Emmy®-winning producer Jonathan Chinn’s production company Lightbox (“The Diamond Heist,” “TINA”, “Whitney,” “LA 92”) and Oscar, Golden Globe® and GRAMMY®-nominated filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s production company Proximity Media (“Sinners,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy”) joined forces in a powerful collaboration that combines cinematic storytelling with the clear-eyed perspective of two decades of hindsight. HURRICANE KATRINA: RACE AGAINST TIME offers the most intimate and profound exploration into the wide-ranging impacts of the disaster to date. Weaving together critical moments of the crisis and the past events that precipitated it, the series delivers an unparalleled, emotionally raw examination of the storm’s personal, political and societal fallout.
“This is far more than a story about a storm,” said executive producers Jonathan Chinn and Simon Chinn (Lightbox). “It’s a compelling, essential reexamination of systemic failure and the enduring consequences of decisions made before, during and after the levees broke.”
“This series goes beyond the headlines. It reveals stories of survival, heroism and resilience,” added executive producers Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian (Proximity Media). “It’s a vital historical record and a call to witness, remember and reckon with the truth of Hurricane Katrina’s legacy.”
Through unprecedented access to archival footage and gut-wrenching eyewitness testimony, HURRICANE KATRINA: RACE AGAINST TIME is a gripping historical record of the storm and its aftermath. With unflinching urgency, the series exposes how a natural disaster became a national tragedy. The riveting, moment-by-moment portrayal offers new details of how the storm and ensuing flood unfolded in real time and transports viewers into the chaos that engulfed the city in the days leading up to and following the hurricane’s landfall.
At the helm of the series is Oscar-nominated director Traci A. Curry (“Attica”). Through Curry’s commitment to bold, empowering narratives, the series unfolds directly from the residents, first responders, and officials who were in New Orleans during the disaster. Each episode is immersed in their lived experiences and their voices present a captivating and powerful retelling and a necessary correction to persistent false narratives. The partnership between Curry and the teams at Proximity Media and Lightbox signals a shift in how this story is told, centered on survivors’ voices, grounded in accountability, and focused on the enduring lessons of a tragedy.
