By Isabelle Lopez ESPN
March 24, 2023
ESPN Films today announced that production has completed on “I’m Just Here for the Riot,” a 30 for 30 documentary about the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot.
On June 15, 2011, the Canucks’ Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals loss to the Boston Bruins sparked a massive riot in downtown Vancouver. Police cars were overturned and burned, windows were shattered, stores were looted, and waves of young people were caught up in the mayhem.
From directors Asia Youngman (“This Ink Runs Deep,” “N’xaxaitkw”) and Kathleen Jayme (“The Grizzlie Truth,” “Finding Big Country”), “I’m Just Here For The Riot” chronicles the aftermath of the event captured on hundreds of cell phone cameras, with the rioters outed, shamed, and their lives altered forever.
From the mob mentality in the streets to similar vengeance in the online hunting of those responsible, it was a dark moment in the city’s history – one that raised deeper questions about fandom, violence, and the shocking power of an angry crowd.
“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 & Executive Producer, ESPN Films and 30 for 30.
“The filmmakers had a clear POV: they wanted to explain not just what happened, but WHY. 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.”
The documentary is executive produced by ESPN Films. Further details will be announced at a later date.
