‘Katrina Babies’ documentary set for HBO premiere; see the chilling trailer

NEW ORLEANS (NOLA WEEKEND) - HBO finally sets a release date for “Katrina Babies,” the first feature-length documentary directed by New Orleans native and filmmaker Edward Buckles Jr.

HBO and its HBO Max streaming service will premiere “Katrina Babies” on Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. CST -- just days before Hurricane Katrina’s 17th anniversary.

Buckles’ first film explores the narratives of kids who experienced Hurricane Katrina and the impact of the storm’s aftermath on New Orleans youth. Buckles has worked on production for the documentary since 2015.

The first-time filmmaker was only 13 when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana and spent years documenting the stories of his peers whose lives were uprooted by the 2005 disaster as children.

HBO released the captivating, but chilling, official trailer for “Katrina Babies” ahead of its upcoming premiere. The trailer opens with Buckles telling his own Katrina story before a montage of images from the 2005 disaster.

Buckles also released an image of his official key art for the documentary vis his Instagram page.

“The babies who were neglected and forgotten in 2005 aren’t babies anymore, and this is our story!” Buckles said in the caption.

The documentary tackles the harrowing experiences of these “Katrina Babies,” for whom the film is named, utilizing confessional-style footage, home movies, animation, harrowing archival footage and candid interviews with Katrina survivors, according to a synopsis on the HBO website.

In a previous interview on FOX 8 Morning Edition, Buckles said he hopes his work starts a conversation for others to join around the current condition of New Orleans youth and the first step towards impact in New Orleans.

“There is no better time for this documentary to come out with the current state of what’s happening right now with our young people in New Orleans,” Buckles said in the interview.

Recently, Buckles, who is also an alumnus of Dillard University and Edna Karr High School, was honored at HBO Max events during Essence Fest weekend. The New Orleans native also took home two awards at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Buckles won the festival’s first-ever Human/Nature Award and received The Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director.

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