Citizenship, civil and human rights, and individual versus state responsibility have been important threads in American political discourse for centuries. Post-Katrina New Orleans is a unique microcosm in which these themes have gained new urgency. Here, the individual and the communal, the local and the national are inseparably intertwined, and precedents will be set that will reverberate in national political debates for decades to come. Despite, or maybe because of the incompetent response of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the disheartening reluctance of all levels of government to effectively engage in the rebuilding process, New Orleanians have turned to each other for material and moral support. At the same time, volunteers from all over the nation have become the muscle for new and established grassroots organizations, setting up food banks, providing medical care, gutting homes, and rebuilding schools and public libraries. Our documentary follows these events, takes stock of the loss that defines the 'storm generation,' and features interviews with 'third responders,' who dedicate themselves to rebuilding morale among those dispirited by the slowness of recovery. In short, in a series of interviews, our documentary chronicles the achievements of both the local residents and the millions of volunteers, while exploring the limitations and fragility of a recovery process built upon the shoulders of individuals operating almost entirely without government support. Throughout, the film thus examines larger themes relevant to American society today, culminating in a final discussion of American citizens' vision of and trust in democratic processes.