Award-winning filmmakers premiere George Floyd protest documentary

‘612: Darkness in the Land of Nice’ premieres

This Sunday marks five years since George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. Academy Award-nominated producer David M. Massey and North Minneapolis writer-director Diem Van Groth have created "612: Darkness in the Land of Nice" to tell the story of how young people in Minnesota ignited the largest single-issue protest in modern history.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A new documentary tells the story of how young adults sparked the "world’s largest protest in modern history" after the murder of George Floyd.

‘612: Darkness in the Land of Nice'

What we know:

The film is titled "612: Darkness in the Land of Nice" and FOX 9’s Leon Purvis spoke with the writer, producer, and director of the film – who say they wanted to find out how and why young people came together to make change.

One of the people featured in the film is Emma Pederson. She was 22 years old when former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on Floyd’s neck five years ago Sunday.

"When George Floyd happened to us, it was, frankly, nothing new. I think the circumstances surrounding George Floyd’s death, with the pandemic, people being locked inside and everything like that – I think that's really what made it pop off," said Pederson.

Inspiration behind the documentary

What they're saying:

Writer, director and producer Diem Van Groth tells FOX 9 he was just one of the citizens on the street documenting history.

Van Groth wasn’t planning on making a film, but found it important to see what was going on, and the movement he saw from the younger generation. 

"It's their courage and their decision. Everybody gets a chance to make history, and the kids and young people in the state of Minnesota, they decided to get up on the street and get themselves some justice," said Van Groth.

Van Groth wants everyone to never forget what happened on May 25, 2020, but also find ways to heal. 

"The film is meant to make sure that the world knows, that tragedy happened in Minnesota, but these are the organizations that are supporting young people to help move Minnesota and the nation forward," said Van Groth.

What's next:

Van Groth says he believes we are better off than we were five years ago, but we're not where we need to be yet.