dward Buckles Jr. was 13 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. His family fled the city just in time, but the storm changed him forever. After years spent as an educator and filmmaker, Buckles decided to make a film about the children—including himself—who were affected by the storm. Katrina Babies (produced by TIME Studios) is an intimate documentary about life and loss that focuses on those who were 3 to 19 years old when the storm struck. Through moving firsthand accounts, including interviews with his cousins and parents, Buckles wants his film to “change the narrative and own the narrative of what’s happening with young New Orleans.”
In a conversation with journalist Soledad O’Brien, who covered the aftermath of Katrina extensively for CNN, Buckles discussed his film and his hope for the future.
O’Brien and Buckles’ conversation is paired with a new TIME cover, featuring art by Charly Palmer. The piece is called Black Boy Fly and celebrates the ability of young people to thrive despite lives interrupted by tragedy and other challenges. He says his inspiration is the Black child’s right to their own, untroubled childhood, even in the face of challenges. Palmer is the author and illustrator of the 2022 children’s book, The Legend of Gravity and is the co-author with his wife, Dr. Karida L. Brown, of the forthcoming children’s anthology, The Brownies Book: A Love Letter to Black Families. In 2020, a Palmer painting called “In Her Eyes” graced the cover of TIME.
Katrina Babies will premiere on Aug. 24 on HBO Max.
