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a bridge life, \ā\•\brij\•\līf\, noun
1: a transitional or intermediate phase, passage or movement between two conditions, in an effort to improve the quality of one’s existence.
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From the Director…
My reasons, as with many, for volunteering in Katrina relief are not unique. However, my connection to this story is. My name is Josh Grossberg, senior entertainment journalist for E! Online, the web’s top entertainment news source, as well as a New York-based independent filmmaker.
Like many others, I watched on television the power of Katrina as it decimated our gulf coast. Also, like many others, in its wake, I was compelled to do my part; to make a difference. For me, the true measure of a man is how he reacts in times of crisis, not only his behavior towards others but also the goals he sets for himself.
Needless to say, I was on route to Houston to volunteer at the Astrodome where thousands of evacuees were transported after being rescued from the floodwaters.
During my four day stay in the Astrodome, I was conscious about not offending the sensibilities of the evacuees with my camera. But I quickly realized early on that people needed to tell their stories. In a way, it seemed therapeutic to be heard.
Though it wasn’t my original purpose, I began documenting as much as possible while helping those in need, getting only three to four hours of sleep per night.
In those first chaotic days, while almost all official news crews were prohibited from shooting in the Dome or were limited by a media representative, my friend Jill Goldstein and I were the only people recording at all hours for an extended period of time what it was like for thousands of people and volunteers, who found themselves in this historical mire.
