Elephant (2003 film)

''Elephant'' is a 2003 American psychological drama film written, directed and edited by Gus Van Sant. It takes place in Watt High School, in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, and chronicles the events surrounding a school shooting, based in part on the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. The film begins a short time before the shooting occurs, following the lives of several characters both in and out of school, who are unaware of what is about to unfold. The film stars mostly new actors, including John Robinson, Alex Frost, and Eric Deulen.

''Elephant'' is the second film in Van Sant's "Death Trilogy"—the first is ''Gerry'' (2002) and the third ''Last Days'' (2005)—all three of which are based on actual events.

Although ''Elephant'' was controversial for its subject matter and allegations of influence on the Red Lake shootings, it was generally praised by critics and received the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. Provided by Wikipedia