‘Katrina’s Children’ shows younger perspective

Young survivors of one of the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history told their stories last night in a premiere viewing of “Katrina’s Children.”

The documentary, co-sponsored by the schools of education, nursing, public health and social work, highlighted the stories of 19 children who survived Hurricane Katrina.

“We concentrate on the parents who survived Katrina and often forget that the most vulnerable ones are the children,” said Carolyn Gillman, executive director of No Matter What!, a nonprofit organization that creates programs to promote children’s education.

Gillman has a Ph.D. from the UNC School of Education and leads screening tours of the documentary. Tuesday night was the first screening.

The film was a glimpse into the perspectives of the hurricane’s child survivors, aged 5 to 13. The filmmakers animated the children’s drawings to depict the events of Hurricane Katrina, told entirely from the kids’ points-of-view.

Marlon, 12, drew his experiences from the Superdome, where he saw hungry and dying New Orleans residents who, like him, could not evacuate before Katrina hit.

Cousins John, 5, and Royce, 6, sketched their ruined house, which they saw after the hurricane hit and described it as a “house graveyard.”

And several of the children featured in the documentary reflected on how the hurricane has affected their lives.

“In a way I lost a piece of myself,” Mary, 11, said.

Amanda, 10, preferred sleeping to being awake after the hurricane because she wouldn’t have to think about the things she witnessed.

After the documentary, Gillman held a panel discussion with the audience of about 20 to address the ramifications of Hurricane Katrina, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Discussions centered on whether some of the children might have depression.

Several audience members noted that Sophie, 12, might have developed obsessive-compulsive disorder because she admitted to counting incessantly.

And though the discussion never reached definitive answers, the film provided a clear perspective.

“I know it wasn’t my fault, but I could’ve changed things,” said Dakota, a 13-year-old Katrina survivor. “I could’ve been more grateful for what I’d been given.”



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