St.
Martin Friar's Film
Film
on Hurricane Katrina Wins Award
HOUSTON, TX May 14, 2008-- Not Broken, a
feature documentary about the Katrina disaster, was awarded a first
place award – the prestigious Platinum Remi Award – at
the 41st WorldFest-Houston 2008, a highly regarded international
film and video festival and competition. Not
Broken was
produced and directed by Armando P. Ibáñez,
OP of St. Martin province.
“This is a highly competitive film and video festival with
more entries than most other festivals…,” a spokesperson
for WorldFest states. “WorldFest
is the oldest Indie Film Festival in the world, and the 3rd oldest
International Film Festival in North America … so we are seeking
the newest and the very best! … The mission/vision
of WorldFest is to recognize and honor outstanding creative excellence
in fi lm & video,
to validate brilliant abilities.”
Kris Kristofferson, whose song Shipwrecked in
the 80s, is
included in the feature documentary’s soundtrack, says: “This
powerful, moving documentary of the Katrina disaster is a testament
to the courage and integrity of the Human Spirit.” Ibanez's
film has also won other honors, including selected among the top
three documentaries from 500 submitted from around the globe to the
AFIA Film International Festival, Aarhus, Denmark.
“Our documentary is different,” says Ibáñez. “We
include people’s faith because spirituality is a critical layer
of the Katrina story, which is often ignored. Faith, whether Christian,
Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or whatever, helped people through
the catastrophe, and is helping them heal and rebuild,” said
Ibanez..
The federal, state, and City of New Orleans governments failed miserably,
according to those interviewed in the documentary, produced by Pluma
Pictures, Inc., a non-profi t film production company. The American
Red Cross’s response was criticized as
sluggish, and, in Dallas, authorities refused to allow Roman Catholic
priests to minister to their flock, who had taken refuge at the
Reunion Arena.
Had it not been for churches, synagogues, temples and people of faith,
some fear there would have been many more dead. Not Broken illustrates
the horrific life-and-death ordeals and struggles some people faced
at the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina, as well as their heroics.
In the aftermath, some faced gross governmental incompetence, neglect,
crime, racism and religious bigotry. Their faith, however, provided
a reservoir of strength, not only for their survival, but in also
aiding others.
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RELATED LINKS
See a YouTube Trailer of Not Broken
WorldFest Houston Intenrational Film Festival
Pluma Pictures
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