The harrowing Lifetime TV movie CLEVELAND ABDUCTION (2015) tells the true story of Michelle Knight, a young woman who was kidnapped in 2002 by Ariel Castro in Cleveland, Ohio. Directed by Alex Kalymnios and based on Knight’s own memoir Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed, the film follows Michelle (played by Taryn Manning) as she becomes the first of three women held captive in Castro’s home for over a decade. She later forms close bonds with Amanda Berry (Samantha Droke) and Gina DeJesus (Katie Sarife), who were also kidnapped and imprisoned in the same house.
The cast also includes Raymond Cruz as Ariel Castro, Pam Grier as Carla, and Joe Morton as Agent Solano. Rather than dramatizing the events with fictional liberties, the production chose to remain as close to the real story as possible — especially when it came to choosing the filming locations.
WHEN AND WHERE WAS CLEVELAND ABDUCTION FILMED?
Filming for CLEVELAND ABDUCTION began in early December 2014 and continued for approximately three weeks, wrapping up before the end of the month. The entire production happened in Cleveland, Ohio, which is also where the real events happened. This choice gave the project a strong sense of realism and emotional weight, especially for people who knew the true story.
MAIN FILMING LOCATIONS IN CLEVELAND, OHIO
West 106th Street – The Castro House Recreation
The heart of the movie takes place inside Ariel Castro’s house, where Michelle and the others were held captive. To recreate the intense, claustrophobic environment, the crew filmed in a real house located in Cleveland’s West 106th neighborhood. The filmmakers chose a location that would evoke the small, cramped conditions of the actual house.
According to executive producer Judith Verno, “The space was very small. Getting two cameras in there day after day was very hard for the actors.” The setup was designed to authentically reflect the physical and psychological limits faced by the women. Although the actual Castro home was demolished in 2013 as part of the healing process for the community, the production chose a substitute location with similar dimensions to reflect the disturbing reality of their captivity.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court – Real Courtroom Filming
Ariel Castro is being sentenced in court, which is one of the most powerful scenes in the movie. The moviemakers didn’t use a set to make the courtroom, instead they shot these scenes at the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court in Cleveland, Ohio, at 1200 Ontario Street. Right here in this courthouse, Castro was given a sentence of life in prison.
The addition of this real-life location gave the story even more truth and weight. The filmmakers even talked to Judge Michael J. Russo, who was in charge of the real trial, and local police officers who were involved in the real investigation.
WHY CLEVELAND WAS CHOSEN
Cleveland was not only chosen for its significance to the real story, but also for its diverse architectural landscape, which includes a mix of period buildings, homes, and civic structures that made it easier for the production to represent the different stages of Michelle’s ordeal. The city’s support for the project also made it easier to deal with problems that came up during the—tight filming schedule.
Because Cleveland wants to tell stories and heal from this terrible part of its history, it was a fitting place to film this painful but important story.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Stay tuned to Netfilming.com for more exclusive updates on filming locations and production details.
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