Columbine Remembered on Film 13 Years Later, Is It Too Much? – Survey of the Day

It is one of those events, especially for those of us in Colorado, kind of like the JFK assassination and 9/11, an event that takes us back to the exact place we were when we heard about it. The Columbine High School massacre still lives on in the heads of those who remember that April day 13 years ago. And for those who were there to witness the tragic events of that day, one can only imagine what they still go through on a daily basis. So, with so many documentaries, and rumors of a feature film depicting the events at Columbine, is it too much too soon?

Sure, 13 years is a long time. But, survivors of the massacre still live with nightmares, panic attacks and depression. Some agree that it helps to talk about it, look at pictures, and video, but still others want to get away from the memory. Others worry about credibility from outside filmmakers who are more concerned about making a dollar than telling the real story. But, there is no doubt there was a lot of hard lessons learned that day in 1999, that can be shared and learned from.

The latest documentary in the works actually comes from the inside. Sam Granillo was a junior at the Littleton High School in 1999. Granillo and 17 others were trapped in that cafeteria kitchen office for about three hours until a SWAT team rescue.  By the time April 20, 1999, was over, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had murdered 12 students and a teacher, and killed themselves. Thirteen years later, Granillo is a film school graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder.  He is 30 years old and works on commercials, films and television shows like “Rescue Renovation” and “American Idol”.

So now, Granillo is putting his filmmaking skills to work, producing and directing the first documentary about Columbine by a student who was actually there. “I started thinking about what I needed to do to create this documentary to raise awareness that we need help,” he said. Making the film, Granillo says, is also part of a journey to help Columbine survivors talk about their experiences.  He’s hoping to take advantage of a “thaw” he senses among some Columbine students who have rarely — if ever —  spoken publicly about that day.  Some are now opening up to him for the first time.