I read this article in the NY Times today, and immediately thought of a new take on the Romeo and Juliet plot: An immigrant and a native fall in love during these riots and have to find a way to create an economy that will support both their “families.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/world/europe/13italy.html?ref=todayspaper
When you are conceiving a screenplay, place is an essential part of the story, and where the story is set can provide much of the conflict, saving you a lot of work. An important part of movies is that they take us to places we’ve never or rarely been before, whether it’s a fantasy place such as a new planet like Pandora in Avatar or a new look at a world we think we know, such as the airport world in Up In The Air.
Take a moment to read the news and see what’s happening in the real world and then apply it to your own story.