Director

As Louisiana’s hidden cultures fight being erased, they find themselves struggling to preserve their lands against the encroaching, unyielding rage of climate change.

This thought-provoking documentary invites viewers to shift their perspective on climate change from a mere scientific phenomenon to a living force shaped by human actions. Like a schoolyard bully, lashing out in impotent fury and brutalizing unsuspecting victims, “Drowning Roots” explores the devastating consequences of this enraged entity on four families, each from different cultures, that can only be found in Southern Louisiana.

Beginning at the coastal regions, the narrative unfolds through the lens of indigenous tribes forced to retreat inland as their land succumbs to erosion. As the journey progresses inland, the focus shifts to the bayous and wetlands, where resilient Arcadian communities grapple with the relentless assault of a climate-driven menace. The lens widens to the people of New Orleans in the lower 9th Ward, who, time and again, endure the devastating blows of hurricanes tearing through their homes. Together, the documentary contemplates the ripple effect that moves through each of these families but also reminds us, as outside viewers, that climate devastation can happen to us all. Through powerful storytelling and firsthand accounts, the documentary paints a vivid portrait of a region caught in the clutches of an environmental adversary, urging us to confront the consequences of our collective impact on the planet.