BURY THE HATCHET (Aaron Walker, U.S.). 86 minutes. Rating: NNNN
In New Orleans, an enclave of Afro-Americans have a Mardi Gras tradition of dressing up as Indians to honour the Native American communities that harboured blacks escaping from slavery in Louisiana’s bayous.
Bury The Hatchet spotlights the rival “chiefs,” who lovingly construct and sew their spectacular Mardi Gras suits, attempting to sustain their over-100-year-old tradition.
It begins as a film about how the construction of Louisiana’s Interstate 10 almost destroyed the community. But then the narrative shifts when Hurricane Katrina hits, causing much more devastation and compelling the tribes to finally bury their differences – hence the title.
Terrific characters make this a powerful doc, and the jazz and Creole music will knock you out.
