Image: WENN.com
Fruitvale Station, the first feature film by writer and director Ryan Coogler, was released in 2013. The film received a near 10-minute long standing ovation when it was shown to captivated audiences at both the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival. Based on a true story, Fruitvale chronicles the events of December 31, 2008 – the last full day of 22-year-old Oscar Grant’s young life. Shot and killed by a transit officer on a subway platform in Oakland’s Fruitvale Station subway stop on January 1, Grant’s death was captured via cell phone. The unwarranted death and the footage sparked widespread protest and riots in the city of Oakland. A Bay Area native, Coogler was touched by the story and decided to write a film about Grant, who was the same age as Coogler at the time of his death. We’re grateful to Coogler, Michael B. Jordan and all of the people involved in the making of this film for humanizing Grant and giving him his voice back. Read on for secrets behind the making of Fruitvale Station.
