Two Oakland landmarks near Lake Merritt, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and the Calvin Simmons Theatre, were key filming locations in late January 2004 for the 2005 drama "Bee Season", a choice co-director Scott McGehee attributed to the filmmakers' familiarity with the area.

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church sits at the edge of Lake Merritt. The Calvin Simmons Theatre anchors its block at the Kaiser Center, a short walk from the water. In late January 2004, both became filming locations for Bee Season — the drama directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, starring Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche, released in November 2005.

Lake Merritt appears directly in the film, including in a montage near the opening. Additional Oakland locations included the Ascension Greek Orthodox Church in the hills, and street scenes around the lake's perimeter, as well as scenes shot on BART. Co-director Scott McGehee told the East Bay Times at the time of the film's release, "This (the East Bay) is the first place that popped into our minds. It's a place we're really familiar with."

The East Bay Times reviewer, writing at the November 2005 opening, noted that "the many attractive East Bay settings — Albany, Berkeley, Piedmont, Lake Merritt in Oakland, BART — consistently captivate the eye."

The church still sits on the lake's edge. The Kaiser Center auditorium still anchors its block. Anyone walking the shoreline today passes the same facades that appeared on screen twenty years ago.