Film Reflection 3- My Louisiana Love

My Louisiana Love

My Louisiana Love is a film by Monique Verdin, a member of the Houma Nation, an indigenous group in Southeastern Louisiana. It's a documentary following Verdin's experience with her relationship to her land, her home, and the oil industry in Louisiana. 

This documentary explores how an unregulated oil industry has affected everyday life in New Orleans, both pre- and post- Katrina. Before Katrina,  oil factories popping up in Houma Nation territory (and all around the state), tricking residents into signing their property away. Verdin says that her land was compromised via countless pipelines and canals, which led to the land sinking even further, leaving residents more vulnerable by the time Katrina happened. She also discusses the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the heartbreak she endured at the sight of her childhood home so destroyed. 

The native perspective provided in this documentary lead me to believe it's a credible source. I find this to be an extremely moving film. Because it is from the perspective of a member of Houma Nation, tsomeone who experiences this first-hand, he gravity of these injustices is not ignorable. It is also upsetting, as someone who lives in Louisiana, to become aware of what'a actually happening to indigenous communities at the hands of our state. It's also effective to include interviews with older members of her family, who can speak to the history of the land.

While I found it interesting, I didn't love the narration. I think Monique could have made more of an effort to sound engaged, but it almost came off as if she wasn't passionate about the subject, when we know, in fact, that she is. Otherwise I liked this documentary a lot and would recommend it highly!