A Place Called Desire
Louisiana Heritage Media Award
The Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation honors Leonard Smith III’s documentary for recreating the historical memory of the Desire community.
Filmmaker Leonard Smith III’s documentary film A Place Called Desire highlights and shares the stories of the Desire community in New Orleans’ Upper Ninth Ward. He recreates the historical memory of a community and documents the legacy of pride by those who lived in this post-World War II development. Smith enables the viewer to look beyond unfair stereotypes and see the thriving, loving community of Desire’s public housing community.
About the award
The Louisiana Heritage Media Award recognizes outstanding works published or produced within the last two years (journalism, films, books, websites or other media) on Louisiana historic preservation themes, topics, issues, projects, or local history and architecture.
The Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation recognized 11 award recipients for their impact on historical places, building pride, and fostering engagement in their communities. Awardees were nominated by the public and selected based on:
- The significance and magnitude of the nominee’s contributions and achievements
- Consistent or innovative involvement with and commitment to culture
- The benefit of the nominee’s contributions to Louisiana’s cultural understanding
The awards ceremony took place on Thursday, September 30, 2021, in conjunction with the 41st annual Louisiana Preservation Conference in Monroe and West Monroe, Louisiana.