'I'm Just Here for the Riot': Vancouver directors to tackle 2011 Stanley Cup riot in ESPN documentary
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."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Federal government bans watercraft from Manitoba lake popular with tourists
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.