So, I think that because it was something that was in the media that was a situation involving a young African-American male losing his life, people definitely drew parallels there. Writer and director, Ryan Coogler, a 26-year-old filmmaker from Alameda, Ca, is motivated by making films that matter. And so many young African-American males lose their lives to violence, to senseless violence in this country every day. And for me, it was always about - Oscar's story was always about the loss of potential with this young man's life. And I think that the verdict had a similar effect on a lot of people that were tuned in to watching it.īut it wasn't in our plan at all to have the film be coming out and to be released around that moment that the nation was watching that trial. With continuing conversations about race in light of Trayvon Martin’s death, the George Zimmerman verdict, and Riley Cooper’s outburst, Fruitvale Station is the kind of measured, intelligent. And that tragedy, when it happened, deeply affected me back in February. Obviously, we were working on the film before Trayvon had - was killed. I was very interested in telling the story from the perspective of all his relationships.Īs a filmmaker, it was really ironic that the verdict came down the weekend our film got released. And for him, it was his mom and his girlfriend, his daughter. Every one of us, every human being has people that they mean the world to just doing their everyday lives. He became a symbol for whatever political agenda they had.Īnd people on the other side wanted to demonize him, to make him just the sum of every bad mistake that he had made in his life, look like he was just a criminal or just a felon, just a drug dealer that got what he deserved on that platform.įor me, it was something that I wanted to get to the heart of who he was from the people that knew him the best before this situation. Some people wanted to make him out to be a saint and a martyr. invite their friends: Fruitvale Station will be opening in a city near you soon. People kind of picked sides, people that didn't know who he was, in many ways made him to be whatever they wanted him to be for their political agendas. Saturday's verdict ignited a national conversation on race, humanity. Well, for me, it was really important to tell a story from the perspective of the people that knew him the best.Īfter the situation happened and Oscar lost his life, the event itself became very politicized.
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