Q&A with Spike Lee: When the Levees Broke
The film portrays New Orleans' rebuilding as a public policy catastrophe. But tens of billions of federal dollars have just opened up to victims, foundations are pouring millions of dollars into the region, volunteers have come from across the country to pitch in. What more can be done?
Right now–I just got back from New Orleans yesterday–there's still not a plan. People don't know whether they should rebuild or what to do. The levees aren't safe. It's just a messed up situation all around.
One of your subjects says repeatedly that "somebody needs to go to jail" for what happened. Do you agree?
Oh I believe it. Prison. Because–people are dead, due to negligence. Somebody should go to jail, to prison, the big house. People are dead. I'm not even talking about loss of property. I'm talking about lives. People are dead because the United States Army Corps of Engineers is not doing their job.
Who should go to jail?
Flip a coin. At this point, it'd be more symbolic than anything. I don't care. We need somebody to go. Somebody.
Well, the film calls out a lot of possible candidates: George Bush, Dick Cheney ...
They called themselves out. When the federal government takes five days to show up, George Bush takes 12 days, Condoleezza Rice is buying shoes, Dick Cheney's fly fishing–they all call themselves out with their disappearance.
They definitely get a lot of heat in this film. Did you ever try to talk to them, to give them a chance to respond?
They refused to speak.
Were you surprised?
No. I'm not stupid. They – I'd have eaten their a— up. I was ready for it. I would have been ready. If they gonna do this, they better bring their lawyers with them.
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