Tamu Smith

Desert Bayou -- The story of 600 Hurricane Katrina evacuees who were airlifted to the almost entirely white state of Utah.

Desert Bayou -- In the wake of one of the worst natural and humanitarian disasters ever to visit American shores, nearly 600 African-Americans were airlifted to the almost entirely white state of Utah... without their knowledge. Desert Bayou seeks to examine whether two cultures can come together in a time of utter chaos, or whether their differences prove too great a challenge to overcome. In their own words, evacuees of Hurricane Katrina tell how they survived the storm of the century and, out of the rubble, ended up at a military installation in the Utah deserts. With interviews from recording artist Master P, celebrity Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, evacuees, political and military leaders, and community and social figures, the questions of race, politics and religion hurdle towards each other in this truly American story: a story of loss and reunion, of sorrow and rebirth, of anger and rejoicing, but most of all... a story of hope.

In the wake of one of the worst natural and humanitarian disasters ever to visit American shores, nearly 600 African-Americans were airlifted to the almost entirely white state of Utah… without their knowledge. Desert Bayou seeks to examine whether two cultures can come together in a time of utter chaos, or whether their differences prove too great a challenge to overcome. In their own words, evacuees of Hurricane Katrina tell how they survived the storm of the century and, out of the rubble, ended up at a military installation in the Utah deserts. With interviews from recording artist Master P, celebrity Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, evacuees, political and military leaders, and community and social figures, the questions of race, politics and religion hurdle towards each other in this truly American story: a story of loss and reunion, of sorrow and rebirth, of anger and rejoicing, but most of all… a story of hope.

Alex LeMay's documentary tells the little-known yet fascinating story of the 600 African-Americans who were evacuated from New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and relocated to a remote military installation in Utah. Facing a startling clash of race, culture and class, these devastated evacuees find themselves strangers in a strange land, struggling to rebuild their lives against insurmountable odds.