Biography
Kira Akerman is a documentary filmmaker, artist, and writer. Kira's short film "Station 15" screened on PBS, a Smithsonian tour across Louisiana, at The Climate Museum in NYC, and DOCNYC, among other venues. Her other film work has appeared at Borscht Film Festival, Prospect Art Biennials 2 & 3, New Orleans, and The New Orleans Contemporary Art Center, The New Orleans Film Festival, Rotterdam, and Clermont Ferrand. Kira is is currently in production on a feature-length film, "Hollow Tree," a parable for climate adaptation, supported by Sundance and IDA.
Research
I am researching the intersecting topics of water, race, and water-related infrastructure in Southeast Louisiana for my documentary, "Hollow Tree". The entire levee system, for example, was built by enslaved black workers. When the levees fail, this aspect of the design is often lost. Broken levees are usually attributed to technological hubris or extreme weather. In collaboration with an archivist, I'm researching archival photos, stereoscopic images, and historical films that illustrate the history and racist ideology that underpins the construction of Southeast Louisiana's environment. I will feature these primary sources as a learning tool for the young people in my documentary.
