Narrator: On August 29, 2005, a catastrophic hurricane named Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast of the United States. When the skies finally cleared, the survival of a major American city hung in the balance.
For more than 200 years, that city had been an iconic feature on the national landscape -- a vital port; a cosmopolitan mecca; a sensual, mysterious refuge. Now, the storm had laid it waste, and raised a stark and previously unthinkable question: what exactly would America be without New Orleans?
John Biguenet, Writer: We tend to look to New Orleans as a place where the past continues to live. But I think much more important for the United States America is this is the place where the future is visible.
John Scott, Artist: For one thing, it's the cultural cradle of this country. I don't care what New York says. This whole country was founded on the principle of the so-called melting pot and the blending of cultures. We've shown American how to do it.