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NBC Bay Area – After months of speculation, filming of a movie about Oscar Grant is underway in the East Bay.

Producers with Forest Whitaker’s film company confirm that filming will take place at BART stations and other locations throughout the East Bay through the end of the month.

Grant’s family says moviemakers hope to capture the 48 hours that proceeded the 2009 New Year’s morning shooting in the film called “Fruitvale.”

“It’s important for people to realize he was human. He was a father. He was a son. He was an uncle. He was a nephew,” said Grant’s uncle, Bobby Johnson.

Grant’s mother, Wanda Johnson says Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer plays her in the film.  She says she had dinner with Spencer, which gave her time to share with the actress the close relationship she had with her son.

“I mean we cried together. It really was an honor. She talked about her four nephews. She can understand the pressure African American and brown men face. She was able to identify with that,” said Johnson.

Local actress Lucena Herrera landed a role in the film too. Herrera plays the part of Grant’s sister-in-law.  Herrera, who is from Union City, says a lot of the cast and crew including the director have Bay Area roots.

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