Trouble the Water

Given the far less damaging path of Gustav last week, those with short memories might be wondering whether Katrina was such a big deal after all. They can refer to one more terrific documentary to set themselves straight. Providing the personal focus complementing the epic sweep of Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke, directors Carl Deal and Tia Lessin make generous use of videos shot by their subjects, New Orleans Ninth Ward residents Kim Roberts and her husband, Scott, before, during, and after the disaster. The direct, artless footage conjures a real-world Cloverfield, except with people who are resourceful and worth caring about. When Deal and Lessin, who’ve produced Michael Moore documentaries, step in, a certain glibness does overtake the eloquence of raw experience and emotion. Nonetheless, the Robertses’ story prevails, as does their courage over the indifference of nature and the government. 93 minutes | Kendall Square