A moment in time.

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Director Gus Van Sant and his production team on Milk are re-creating the swinging '70s heyday of the Castro--not in a studio back lot but on top of San Francisco 2008. A gift store was convinced--and compensated--by the film's producers to temporarily vacate 575 Castro St. to make way for the return of Harvey Milk's camera shop after three decades (pictured above). "It just felt right to do [the movie] in the place where it actually happened," says Milk's production designer, Bill Groom. Aided by thousands of archival photos from that era, some provided by close friends of Milk, Groom has erased 30 years from the Castro by changing awnings, signage, and the displays in store windows. Groom says some painting of the storefronts was also necessary because, ironically, "the Castro wasn't quite as colorful back in the day." The push for authenticity came from the top down. "Gus feels a responsibility to tell this story as honestly as we can," Groom says. "I think all of us feel very fortunate to be part of this project."