Land of Opportunity

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY follows people from many walks of life as they struggle with the most human of pursuits: seizing opportunity in the wake of tragedy. In this documentary, set in post-catastrophe New Orleans, tenacious residents cross paths with ambitious urban planners, hard-working immigrant laborers, and impassioned activists to help shine a light on the forces that are shaping American cities in the 21st century. From government chambers and exclusive boardrooms to FEMA trailer kitchens and public housing apartments, the individual lives chronicled in the film put a personal face on some of the key issues facing our urban communities today, including economic displacement, immigration and the affordable housing crisis. Though it's impossible to escape the pervasive effects of disaster on every aspect of life in New Orleans, this film is not about Hurricane Katrina and its immediate aftermath. Rather, filmed over a period of three years, LAND OF OPPORTUNITY takes a long view of a complex and evolving reconstruction process through the eyes of those on the frontlines.

In this character-driven film, the personal is political. The individual stories of our protagonists illuminate the myriad challenges that arise in the (re)building of a city where race and class divisions have defined daily life for generations. Carefully selected, the characters in the film are voices from all corners of society. Interwoven, these disparate and often conflicting voices engage in a rich dialogue that tells us much about who we are as a nation and where we’re headed.