'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
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.