 In late August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast region of the United States shattering levees, cities, homes and lives across Louisiana and Mississippi. In November, a group of musicians led by REM s Michael Stipe, disillusioned with the government s slow and ineffective response to the disaster, disappointed by the media s move "onto the next story", and personally hurting for a region and it s people, recorded a song with the intent of having 100% of the proceeds raised by it s sale donated toward rebuilding the lives and homes of those people, many of whom had very little to begin with and now have nothing at all. The song Michael chose was over 5 years old and had been written by another (little known) musician, Joseph Arthur. Originally entirely about something else, in light of Katrina, the song took on to him and the others involved, a deep personal meaning in connection with the situation in New Orleans and the Gulf Region. IN THE SUN, the documentary short film, is the story of a song, the story of a region, and the story our ability as humans to care for our own. It s about how all three of those have been tied together and given new meaning forever by one event: Katrina.