When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
2006 · Miniseries · TV-14 · 65 min · ★ 7.5 · 92% critics
This documentary miniseries examines the lead-up to and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s impact on New Orleans, using firsthand accounts and archival footage. It traces how a natural disaster became a wider human crisis, highlighting breakdowns in preparation, response, and recovery, and the lasting effects on residents and the city’s way of life.
Where to watch
Streaming on HBO Max.
4 hours to watch · 4 episodes.
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Details
- Years
- 2006–2007
- Release date
- 2006-08-21
- Network
- HBO
- Language
- English
- Rated
- TV-14
- Runtime
- 65 min
- Critic score
- 92/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.5/10 (54 votes)
About
You’ll likely appreciate this if you want an in-depth, interview-driven look at Hurricane Katrina’s human toll and government response; Not for you if you avoid harrowing real-world tragedy or lengthy documentaries like 100 Foot Wave.
Pros: detailed firsthand interviews; unforgettable impact; essential historical record | Cons: very long runtime; emotionally relentless; some uneven balance
Themes
- new orleans, louisiana
- miniseries
- hurricane katrina
Cast & crew
- RN
Ray Nagin
as Self
- GR
Garland Robinette
as Self
- KB
Kathleen Blanco
as Self
- DA
Darleen Asevedo
as Self
- JA
Jay Asevedo
as Self
Harry Belafonte
as Self
Wendell Pierce
as Self
Mike Myers
as Self
Dick Cheney
as Self
Terence Blanchard
as Self
Directed by Spike Lee
Episodes1 season · 4 episodes
Season 14 episodes
- S1E1Act I63mHBO MaxHulu
- S1E2Act II61mHBO MaxHulu
- S1E3Act III58m
- S1E4Act IV61m