Katrina Five Year Anniversary Update

The five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is upon us and I wanted you to know about the incredible work being done on the Gulf Coast to repair past and current damages. If you haven’t yet visited the sites of the Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corporation & Vietnamese American Young Leaders Assn.- New Orleans, please do so. We also recently partnered with VietUnity and their new group, Viet Gulf Coast Solidarity Network, for a screening of A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES. VGCSN is an Oakland-based grassroots organization working to aid the Vietnamese people of the Gulf Coast. If you are interested in knowing more about their organization and how you can help, join their facebook page, or email: vietgcsn@gmail.com. Dozens of organizations and media groups have been trying to bring awareness to the current devastation in the Gulf Coast and how it is related to what happened five years ago. We wanted to share a few of the informative and poignant pieces we’ve found: RADIO NPR- After Katrina, New Orleans Has A New Political Face “I felt a compelling need to promote social change,” says Republican Rep. Joseph Cao. “I thought the best possible way for me to do that was to become politically involved.” _________ PHOTOS The Washington Post- Vietnamese shrimpers face financial ruin after oil spill Take a look at these beautiful images of Vietnamese-American shrimpers. _________ VIDEO The New York Times- The Shrimper Survivor “Thuong Nguyen, a Louisiana shrimp fisherman, survived a treacherous trip from Vietnam and Hurricane Katrina. But now he worries that he may not make it through the gulf oil spill.” I also wanted to let you know we have three A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES screenings coming up: two in San Francisco and one in North Carolina. Our associate producer, Brittney Shepherd also recently screened AVCV at the Goethe-Institut in Hanoi, Vietnam. Look for her comments on how it went in our next newsletter. Upcoming screening details: SAN FRANCISCO, CA: WHAT: SF Interfaith Council presents AVCV– FREE WHEN : Friday 9/1 @ 7pm WHERE : Jewish Community Center, 3200 California Street, SF, CA 94118 INFO : Please RSVP FACEBOOK EVENT : http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136011043106918 Filmmaker S. Leo Chiang will participate in a discussion afterward. CHARLOTTE, NC: WHAT: Council on Foundations, Conference for Community Foundations WHEN: Mon. 9/13 @8:30p WHERE: Charlotte Convention Center, 501 South College Street, Charlotte, NC 28202, Room 216 INFO:  click HERE Producer/Director Leo Chiang to present, along with Tin Nguyen, a Charlotte-based attorney and activist who has worked with Gulf Coast Vietnamese-American fisherfolk. SAN FRANCISCO, CA: WHAT: FREE Screening at the SF Public Library, Main Branch WHEN : Tuesday 9/21 @ 6pm WHERE : SF Public Library, 100 Larkin Street, SF, CA 94118 INFO : http://sfpl.org/ FACEBOOK EVENT : http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152022044807894 A panel discussion on disaster preparedness including Associate Producer, Eva Moss, will follow. Members of VietUnity will also attend.