'I'm Just Here for the Riot': Vancouver directors to tackle 2011 Stanley Cup riot in ESPN documentary

Vancouver Canucks fans watch a car burn during a riot following game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup final in downtown Vancouver, B.C., on June 15, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Howe

Acclaimed Vancouver film directors Asia Youngman and Kathleen Jayme are collaborating on a forthcoming ESPN documentary about one of the darkest moments in the city's recent history.

Titled I'm Just Here for the Riot, the new entry in ESPN's 30 for 30 series will chronicle the aftermath of the Vancouver Canucks' 2011 Game 7 Stanley Cup Final loss to the Boston Bruins, with a particular interest in "questions about fandom, violence, and the shocking power of an angry crowd," according to ESPN.

"Taking a subject like Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals and the ensuing riot – and using that event to tell an even bigger story about society – is what makes 30 for 30 so special,” said Marsha Cooke, vice-president and executive producer of the 30 for 30 series, in a statement announcing the film Friday.

Jayme's previous work has focused largely on a different local sports story: The short-lived and much-maligned, but still weirdly beloved Vancouver Grizzlies NBA franchise.

The most recent of her four films on the team, The Grizzlie Truth, premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival last year.

Youngman's previous work has not had sports as a central focus. Her 2019 film This Ink Runs Deep won Best Documentary Short at that year's Calgary International Film Festival for its portrayal of Indigenous artists reclaiming their cultures and identities through both traditional and contemporary tattoo practices.

Her most recent short film, n’xaxaitkw, premiered at last year's Toronto International Film Festival.

ESPN said the two Vancouver filmmakers brought a clear point of view to the topic of the 2011 Stanley Cup riot.

"They wanted to explain not just what happened, but why," Cooke said. "Why do we get so caught up in the emotions of winning and losing? Why do normal people sometimes run amok and do things they regret? And in a world dominated by cell phones and social media, why do we feel compelled to capture everything, no matter how destructive it might be? It is a story about regret and shame, but profoundly, it’s also about how you rebuild, forgive, and try to find something meaningful in the aftermath."