I’m Just Here for the Riot
When the Canucks lost the final game of the 2011 Stanley Cup series to the Boston Bruins, the citizens of Vancouver took to the streets flipping over police cars and breaking windows. How did social media, smartphones, and mob mentality play a role in this chapter of NHL history?
On June 15, 2011, thousands of Vancouver Canucks fans descended into the city’s downtown core to watch their beloved team face the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The home team had won each of the previous six games, and Vancouverites, cautiously optimistic, hoped this pattern would hold. The Bruins emerged victorious, 4-0, and Vancouver descended into chaos. Police cars were overturned and burned, windows shattered, stores looted, and countless numbers of young people were caught up in the mayhem. Startling images of the rioters and their actions—captured by legions of cell phone cameras—were soon posted on every social media platform. The mob mentality in the streets led to a similar atmosphere in cyberspace as online vigilantes used the pictures to identify and disgrace the offenders, indifferent to any potential long-term consequences. But was justice ultimately served or harmed by such sanctimonious samaritans? Which mob’s actions were the more traumatic? Through interviews with Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo and author Jon Ronson, among others, directors Asia Youngman & Kathleen Jayme delve into the aftermath of these events, scrutinizing deeper issues around sports fandom, online culture, and how each can give way to the raw, violent power of an angry crowd.
- Director: Kathleen Jayme, Asia Youngman (Cree-Métis)
- Country: Canada
- Year: 2023
- Running Time: 77 min.
- Producer: Michael Grand, James Brown, Gentry Kirby
- Cinematographers: Kaayla Whachell
- Editors: Greg Ng, Katie Chipperfield
- Filmography: Jayme: The Grizzlie Truth (2022); Youngman: Debut Feature Film
- Language: English
- US Distributor: ESPN Films
- International Sales: ESPN Films