New Orleans' long history of political dysfunction gets a new lease on life when Stacy Head, a polarizing white woman, wins a seat on the city council after Katrina. Four years later, she needs to get black votes to be re-elected. Getting Back to Abnormal follows the odd couple of Head and her irrepressible political advisor, Barbara Lacen-Keller, as they try to navigate New Orleans' complicated political scene. Featuring provocative commentary from New Orleans cultural figures like David Simon.

ABOUT PAUL STEKLER

Paul Stekler’s documentaries about American politics have won numerous national honors including multiple Emmys, Peabodys and du-Pont-Columbia Journalism awards, and have all been aired nationally on PBS.  

His films include Sundance Special Jury Prize winner George Wallace: Settin’ the Woods on Fire (directed and produced with Dan McCabe), Vote for Me: Politics in America (a two night national special directed and produced with Louie Alvarez and Andy Kolker), Last Man Standing: Politics Texas Style (which aired on PBS’s P.O.V. series), two of the Eyes on the Prize civil rights series films, and Frontline’s The Choice 2008, about the Obama-McCain election race, which he co-produced and wrote with director Michael Kirk.  

Dr. Stekler has a doctorate in American politics and worked as political pollster in Louisiana.  He co-wrote Native American novelist James Welch’s non-fiction book Killing Custer, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.  He lives in Austin where he teaches documentary film production, is the Chair of the Radio-Television-Film Dept. at the University of Texas, and also writes about politics and film.