Bury the Hatchet. 2010. USA. Written and directed by Aaron Walker. DCP. 87 min.
In Bury the Hatchet, which was filmed over the course of five years and includes material from both before and after Hurricane Katrina, we see the run-up to Mardi Gras through the eyes of three Big Chiefs: Monk Boudreaux, Alfred Doucette, and Victor Harris, all of whom descend from enslaved peoples who were taken in by the local Indigenous communities after running away. Today, they dress in elaborate, handmade costumes influenced by their dual cultural identities and the longer histories of their warring tribes. As we watch these men design and sew their costumes, they share stories of the local culture and the vibrant practice that they are keeping alive.
The film is tinged with bittersweetness. These men are old enough to have experienced vast periods of change and upheaval in their beloved city, starting with life in Treme before the coming of Interstate 10 in 1966, which completely shifted the dynamics of the neighborhood, and up through and including the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.