When filmmaker Franklin Martin came across an article about 20 football players from rival teams being displaced to East St. John High School after Hurricane Katrina, he knew he had to go.The story of bitter enemies forced to play as teammates enthralled Martin and set the scene for his first film, “Walking on Dead Fish,” which opened this past Friday in Baton Rouge at Cinemark Perkins Rowe.The documentary follows the East St. John Wildcats on and off the field as they cope with shortened playing time lost to new teammates and decaying homes lost to high floodwaters — all with the eyes of their distraught LaPlace community watching them for hope and a brief distraction from reality.”All they had was high school football,” Martin said.Martin stressed that football is only the medium for the film’s message of humility, hope, recovery and true teamwork. He said he focused on the sport because the team’s true story exemplified those strengths.”It’s about the recovery of the human spirit and the recovery of the team,” he said.Struck by just how strongly Louisianians feel about their football, Martin soon found out his focus was right on target. He chose to open the film in Harahan and Baton Rouge — not the typical New York and Los Angeles premiere — because he felt it would best resonate with crowds who understood the disaster and the importance of the game.And resonate it did.In its premiere weekend at the AMC Elmwood Palace in Harahan, “Walking on Dead Fish” landed the No. 1 opening for a documentary in the country.An early cut of the film hit home so hard with Louisiana native and former NFL player Terry    Bradshaw that he lent his time, money and voice to the movie as narrator and producer.Bradshaw said he “couldn’t stop crying and couldn’t stop laughing,” according to Martin.Bradshaw is scheduled to appear on ESPN and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Oct. 10 to tell people about the film.”I’m not here to sell,” Martin said. “I think it sells itself.”It did sell itself to Deluxe Media Management executives who, like Bradshaw, jumped on-board to do what they can to promote the movie after seeing it themselves.Martin said they walked in on cell phones saying they could stay 20 minutes at most. As the 20 minutes elapsed, they put down the phones, sat down and watched. As the credits rolled, they were back on their phones calling everyone they knew who could help spread the word.”We haven’t sat down 90 minutes straight [for a movie] in the last 20 years of running our business. We were that impressed,” said Michael Alvarez, the company’s president.Alvarez said it is important that young people see the movie “in a time when everybody is so interested in celebrating their ego” because it “celebrates commitment more than ego.”But others may find the movie’s 2008 release to be too far past the hurricane’s extremely publicized 2005 hit. Martin said the long wait was a setback of starting production with a $0 budget.”It’s just the Katrina thing,” said Bryn Duplechain, undecided freshman. “I think it’s kind of played out.”Chad Alford, construction management senior, said the movie is like “beating a dead horse” with Katrina. “When I go to the movies I want to be entertained instead of depressed.”- – – -Contact Julie Gutierrez at [email protected]