Hurricane Katrina's 20th Anniversary
On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Janene Knox and Harry Peter Becnel III will be screening their 2015 documentary A Reason to Stay at the Broad Theater. The film captures their experience riding out the storm via camcorder footage.
The Storyline
Four days before the hurricane hit, Harry and his wife Angela bought their house in Mid-City. Unable to afford evacuating, they decide to weather the storm with their neighbors, another young couple. At first, the mood is lighthearted. Nobody thought the storm would be as bad as it was.
However, as the storm worsens and they lose power, the two couples begin to realize the mounting challenges they will face. The two-story house keeps them and their neighbors safe, and the house ends up being a shelter of sorts for those who live in one-story houses nearby. The four captured this experience on a camcorder, the footage from which eventually became the couples' story A Reason to Stay.
Originally released in 2015, the film portrays the grim reality of facing natural disasters, like hurricanes, head-on but also displays the community and resilience of New Orleans and its inhabitants. As the documentary's title suggests, New Orleans may have its challenges but there is, at the end of the day, a reason to stay. On the 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, this message is all the more poignant as more storms have hit since, and the city has had to rebuild time and again.
Event Details
The screening will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on August 29, 2025, at the Broad Theater. Afterward, there will be a concert with performances by Ryan Scully and others. Scully plays a part in the documentary and also scored the music featured in it. Tickets for the screening are $12. Concert tickets are a separate charge of $8.
