True/False Films

Shake the Devil Off

In person: director Peter Entell and musician Glenn David Andrews.

As if losing their homes and having their city destroyed wasn't enough, the parishioners at St. Augustine Church in New Orleans find themselves under siege once again. The archdiocese has decided to close their parish, shuttering their 165-year-old church, the city's first multiracial house of worship. Peter Entell's film follows the growing movement to keep the church open and retain the articulate and beloved Father Jerome LeDoux in his position. As the parishioners stand up to the powers that be, accusing them of selling LeDoux out to cash in on the church's rising real estate value, Entell is there. Shake the Devil Off is a stirring story about civil rights, collective action and the transformative power of faith. Filled with glorious music — appropriate, as St. Augustine is considered a birthplace of jazz — Entell's movie adds another fascinating chapter to the growing post-Katrina story. (JS)