Capitol Weekly: Politics at the Movies:
The true highlight was the final film, Destiny Lives Down the Road. It was filmed using non-professional actors, mostly playing themselves, in the town of Chalmette, Louisiana, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The short film follows the day-to-day existence of a poor teenage girl, played by Dominique Thompson, as she tries to resume her life after the hurricane. She attempts to raise her two younger siblings, deal with her negligent mother and divorced father, and raise enough money to resume her hobby of dancing. The understated performances feel extremely real, right down to the distinct accents, and the shots of Chalmette, with overturned boats and rusting, abandoned cars, paints a grim picture of Post-Katrina life. Directors Daneeta Lorreta Jackson and Patrick Jackson move the film naturally to a bleak ending. Hurricane Katrina has spawned a host of media depictions, but few have the understated, personal despair of Destiny Lives Down the Road.
