Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan © FDC / GT
UN CERTAIN REGARD RENDEZ-VOUS- Fruitvale Station by Ryan Coogler
Based on a story which hit the news headlines in the United States in 2009, Fruitvale Station is the first feature film by American director Ryan Coogler. The film, named after the Oakland subway station where a young man was fatally lynched won the Grand Jury Prize and the Public Prize at the last Sundance festival,
Tell us how your film came about…
I was inspired to make this film by the event itself. I saw the footage and I was deeply affected by it. In 2011, I got word that Forest Whitaker’s production company had been looking for young filmmakers and that my name had come up in their search. I met Forest and explained that this was the project closest to my heart. He said that he would like to help me make the film immediately.
Any special memory or anecdote from the shooting ?
One of the moments I will remember the most was shooting the Fruitvale Bart platform scene. We could only shoot during hours that the trains weren’t running. That ended being 4 hours in the middle of the night, and we could only afford three days like that.
What type of cinema has influenced you ?
I grew up watching a lot of American cinema of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Films by Coppola, Scorsese, Spielberg, and Kubrick. Then I fell in love with the works of Truffaut, Godard and Kurosawa. I also love documentaries. Some incredible advice that a filmmaker gave me is that directors should watch more documentaries because they’re about real people.
Can you tell us about your next project ?
It’s a personal story set in the world of high school American football in my home town that I’ve been wanting to make for a long time.
SCREENINGS
Thursday 16th May / Debussy Theatre / 2.00 p.m. – 10.15 p.m.
