The main focus of the documentary is Dan Sheffer, a loan officer, husband and father of two from Plantation, Florida. He watched on television, like all of us, the trials and tribulations of the Katrina evacuees those first few days and wrestled with what to do, or what he could do. Inspired by a Good Samaritan, who aided hurricane victims in his own state, Dan’s goal became clear; find evacuees willing to leave the hard cement of the Astrodome and escort them to relative safety and the chance of a new life in Florida; in essence to provide those willing with a bridge life. He then solicited pledges from friends and colleagues to help cover the cost of flying 10 evacuees from the Houston Astrodome, which he would recruit himself, back to Florida. Putting his life on hold, Dan’s act of Good Samaritanship turned out to be a much tougher road than either he or anyone else imagined. Finding evacuees prepared to trust him enough to leave for an unknown future in another state would prove near impossible. But after several days, and with the help of other volunteers, Dan had finally enlisted seven evacuees ready to believe.
Dan’s story is but one of many heartening and heart wrenching tales to come out of Katrina and subsequent disasters the world over. What follows, is the tale of a group of strangers, bound by a common goal, faced with many human obstacles that would eventually drive them apart and back together again. While the story ends tragically for one evacuee, what rises above are inspiring portraits of kindness in the face of great adversity.
With over 60 hours of Astrodome footage to start in those first dire days, I stumbled upon a riveting story of hope, inspiration and hurdles encountered in this 21st century American catastrophe. But in the end, it was meant for me to tell. It also gives me an opportunity to continue to pay-it-forward by contributing a percentage of future proceeds to a Katrina-related charity. And lastly, my hope is the next time a situation calls for help, whether it be large or small that perhaps you’ll remember Dan and feel encouraged to do your part.
-Joshua Grossberg
Director, A Bridge Life
