Fruitvale Station is a retelling of the shooting of Oscar Grant. In 2009, Oscar was gunned down by Oakland police, sparking a public outcry. We spoke with the movie's writer and director, Ryan Coogler, and Octavia Spencer, who plays Oscar's mom in the film, shortly after the drama received a standing ovation at its Cannes Film Festival premiere. The pair told us why it was vital to shoot the movie in the Bay Area, what they learned from their conversations with Oscar's family, and what being "embraced" by an international audience in France meant to them. Fruitvale Station will hit select theaters in the States beginning next month.
