'' When the Levees Broke : A Requiem in Four Acts '' is a 2006 documentary film directed by Spike Lee about the devastation of New Orleans , Louisiana following the failure of the levees during Hurricane Katrina . It was filmed in late August and early September 2005 , and premiered at the New Orleans Arena on August 16 , 2006 and was first aired on HBO the following week . The television premiere aired in two parts on August 21 and 22 , 2006 on HBO . It has been described by Sheila Nevins , chief of HBO 's documentary unit , as " one of the most important films HBO has ever made . " The title is a reference to the blues tune " When the Levee Breaks " by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
When the Levees Broke