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Kimberly Roberts is the reason "Trouble the Water" is one of the year's best documentaries. The New Orleans native and rap artist who goes by the name of Black Kold Madina used a cheap video camera to get unbelievable footage during Hurricane Katrina.

Only 24 when she endured the hurricane, Roberts had been on her own for almost a decade following the AIDS-related death of her mother. Her personality and a hypnotic voice exhibit the fierce determination of a woman who's battled her way through life without one atom of self-pity.

Roberts' footage is the centerpiece of this documentary by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. The film follows Roberts and her family as they bounce around looking for a safe haven in the storm's aftermath.

Instead of narration, Lessin and Deal use TV news reports. Some clips - like that of President Bush and FEMA chief Michael Brown assuring that the government is on top of things - will evoke serious eye rolling.

Others will break your heart. One harrowing passage employs 911 calls during the storm. One woman reports she's trapped in her attic, the water is rising and she cannot get out. She's told rescuers won't be responding until the crisis has passed.

There's a long pause. Then: "So I'm gonna die."

The film's most riveting moment, though, comes when Roberts performs a rap number called "Amazing," a paean to self-reliance and self-love that lives up to its name.

Amazing song. Amazing story. Amazing woman. Amazing film.