tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with michael b. jordan, getting unanimous praise for his work. the first time director of the movie, he won awards at both cannes and sundance film festival. the movie tackles one of the most explosive incidents in recent memory when an armed african-american man was shot to death by a white transit policeman at the oakland bart whaton that ressembles took place with trayvon ma rtin.

we continue to introduce you to folks that make this show possible each and every night. has been with me since the beginning and without whom this program would not be on the air. she was and is responsible for the funding that keeps us on the air. everyone of us knows and the doors d -- adores denise. >> thank you for giving us 10 great years of conversations. i also want to thank our funding sponsors, walmart and the people that started with us, enterprise the foundations. it takes a village for great programming. we're glad you have joined us for a conversation with actor michael b. jordan and director ryan kugler. now. >> there is a saying that dr. king had. he said, there is always the

right time to do the right thing. i just try to live my life every day by doing the right thing. we know that we are only about halfway to completely eliminate hunger and we have a lot of work to do. walmart committed $2 billion to fighting hunger in the u.s. as we work together, we can stamp hunger out. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: the incident detected in thetbell station is on mind of every american.

one of those profoundly affected, not as a 26-year-old director, he has made a powerful film about what happened in the hours of 2008. it stars michael b. jordan in what is being called his break our role. scene.ake a look at a >> yourself with your cousins. >> what about you? >> i will be fine. when we wake up in the morning, we will play canada lands. -- candyland. >> we will go to the park? toys r us? >> better than that. maybe chuck e. cheese.

>> really? >> i will let you play all the games. we will eat it up even mommy, because she can't have carbs. >> what's carbs? let me start by saying congratulations. this is the most powerful than have seen in a long time. weekend new york last and flew back home yesterday. i ran to a movie theater last night because i wanted to see it with an audience of people. the theater was pretty pact, which was glad to see. at the end of the film, i was so transfixed, i could not get out of my seat.

i just sat there for about 10 minutes, stopped crying. >> you didn't want anybody to see you crying? tavis: i would not have been ashamed about that. i was in a theater full of women on the west side of los angeles. i was not the only ones stuck in my seat and i was not the only one crying. a brilliant job you did to get white folks to connect to if not revel in the humanity of black males. one of the most difficult things to do, to revel in the humanity of black boys or black men. congratulations. words,preciate the kind tavis. making the film was always about

humanity. for some reason, as human beings, we tend to react strongly to people we perceive as being closer to us. about a receive news relative of verses news about a stranger. happenedevent that hundreds oforld, people have lost their lives. you hear about it, and you can still go on with your day. , itrmation about one person has a paralyzing effect. why does it take somebody to feel like they are close to us? why can't we see the humanity? it was important to me, making

the film, the personal life from the relationship, people know what it is like to have a mom or girlfriend. those are the people that know you best, your strengths or weaknesses. all the subject matter you could have delved into for your first project, tell me more about why you were so insistent and worked so hard to make this your directorial debut? started with the incident itself. i was in the bay area when it happened, i was born and raised there. year's eve, we had just moved. obama had just been elected.

later on that day, people were recording with their cameras and funds. the circumstances which he got .hot in his friends look like my friends. i remember feeling sick, a range of emotions with shock and frustration into deep sadness. after that, people pushed and pulled as characters in different directions.

to demonize and go over every mistake he ever made. wt heinal who got deserved. the tragedy was that he did not make it home to the people that he mattered to. that is what made me want to make the film. tavis: how difficult that you have to fight? what you did is masterful. i think it is a masterful piece of work and i will get to michael's role. entrust to a to kid who wants to do this. you're no longer 22. >> 27. i'm sorry.se me,

family --lot for his to get the sign-off to? friend who i met there, he was in the school of law. we were coming from the same place. we're real close the year before when we came back from christmas break. i wanted toto him, do it and he ended up graduating. a couple years later in 2011, do you still want to make that film?

helping withe of the case. organizinge help some of this footage. maybe will be the best person to talk to. i showed some of the work i had done. he was very open to it. introduction,t but that is all i can do. the production, company came on board. in film school when that happened. i did not want to convince them or persuade them. while i thought i could do it or that he would be pretty helpful.

other people will make the policy. get to see us through the media screen. i talked to him about that and how i wanted to tell the story. me being from the bay area, i really think it was for us. earlier thationed i was on a plane back, and wanted to rush back to see the movie before you came on the show. i am sitting next to forest whitaker. we got a chance to talk on the plane ride. he was a very competent that you could pull this off. michael, thank you for a

patient. i wanted to get some excited. wellwas blown away at how you inhabited this character. the highest compliment i can give you is that i think denzel washington is probably the greatest actor of our generation. whatever character he in habits, you will leave in that character. inhabit the character whether it is hurricane or training day. you've convinced me that you were oscar grants. it was the process for getting in to that spirit, a seoul, the body, the mind. for the complement. when i first heard that

happened, i felt like it could of been me. there are a lot of similarities between the two of us. theing to know him through family, doing my homework and getting a chance about a month before we started filming. it really helped me out a lot. the african-american male without a lot of options. out trying to find a way and break the vicious cycle. not being able to find an outlet to express yourself. explain, i can't just feel like it is what i

meant to do. it andwant to embody make it as real as possible. , his being around me, lend me your spirit and be there while i am trying to tell your story. tavis:ere moments -- were there moments where the process was a burden for you or overwhelming for you? what ishe story, i know about to happen. you know you have done a great work when you know what is about to happen and you are still on the edge of your seat. the edge of my seat, shaking in my chair because i know this moment is

about to explode. -- momentsmore mints or days when you were inhabiting this character -- >> there were a couple scenes likeirst come to mind, when people get hit by the car. , i feltbuddy of mine that i was back home. there, maybe something would have happened differently. you see something or smell something that might change something in you get hit with this motion. bodying that character took me to a place that i had never been to before. what is her name?

tavis: i don't know where you found her, but the scenes is powerful stuff. >> she represented his future. his past,d his mom, his girlfriend. that was the future. that isationship, unique and i don't think it can be explained unless you have a daughter. she is fun to work with and gives some much. she know all of my lions. she was a lot of fun to work with. his mom is played by the academy award winner octavi us spencer.

tell me about her role bringing this project to the fore? casting, and it happens to be right after she won the oscar. you had him on board. was talking about who was she had play this role, literally just won an oscar. there is no way that she will get changed. it is a great person.

we pass along the script and she had the same age. i got nervous because she is so successful. i really want to hear what she has to say. from the moment i met her, she has this youthful energy to her. you interviewed her on the show. she is just an amazing person. light and ining compare her to a battery. hard did you have to work on the financial front to

get this made? of persons whos want to tell stories like this that are hard truths, and convenient troops that are painful. of ang out the humanity african-american male character, how hard did you have to work? from quite aport few places. is, i wast production still in school, it ended up under $1 majority for million. got more investors. happened while we were shooting.

institute feature was forgram, it production and post-production and a little bit of press. getting the script on his feet, will have support from these nonprofit institutions and investors that really had an open mind. tavis: you have been asked this before, but not by me. given the last few days of protests around the country, d. george zimmerman trial. trayvon was not on trial -- >> he was, though. your point.ke

i agree. cronos is the passing of time, one day to the next, but ther e are these moments where everything comes together at the appointed time. and the irony of the release of this film is not lost on me. >> i feel like when the jurors go deliberate and it was the opening weekend of our film, we could not have planned this any better. for lack of a better word. i take people need to see how we change in attitude of other

people. we don't value each other's lives like that. tavis: i am not one of those people that we incessantly. i was trying to process all this, i pulled my fun out and i -- phone out and i tweeted before i left the theater. this is the best gift of the country can be given for how to find a way and understanding, appreciating, and reveling in the humanity of black men. >> i appreciate those kind

words. at this time, the timing of this was all coincidental. tavis: you don't want to exploit the moment, that is -- i get your point. the timing is sometimes out of our control, you accept a blessing and i think it is a gift for americans of all races to see trayvon was a human being. character to him, not just color. parallels are mind- boggling. au have done a lot of people great service.

we can have some sort of cathartic release or better understanding. it is a brilliant film and i can't say at any other way. i'm immensely enjoyed it. cities, going into wider release in the coming days. what ever you have to do, you do with. -- do it. directed by 26-year-old ryan er.gl starring michael b. jordan. that is our show for tonight, as always, keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with grammy-winning artist amy grant about her first studio album in 10 years.

", she looks from here." we will see you then. >> there is a saying that dr. king had. he said, there is always the right time to do the right thing. i just try to live my life every day by doing the right thing. we know that we are only about halfway to completely eliminate hunger and we have a lot of work to do. walmart committed $2 billion to fighting hunger in the u.s. as we work together, we can stamp hunger out. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs.

>> welcome to "film school shorts," a showcase of the most exciting new talent from across the country. experience the future of film, next on "film school shorts." "film school shorts" is made possible by a grant from maurice kanbar, celebrating the vitality and power of the moving image, and by the members of kqed.