Today the Sarasota Film Festival opens. It's a bittersweet time for me because last year my 18 year-old nephew flew down for some films and fun. His name was Tim Frantz.
Tim had a macabre streak in him and so we took in some very weird horror flicks and visited the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. We snuck around and took illegal photographs (no flash – we were respectful criminals) filled with melting clocks and crutches. As we walked through the museum we talked about politics, religion, sex and just about everything that people often say you’re not suppose to talk about. Tim didn't care. He was fearless. Over lunch we talked about Jesus, Sushi and evangelic preachers. In the car back to Sarasota we discussed Japan, Buddhists, Homosexuality and Hillary's run for the presidency.
Tim loved classic horror films and mentioned one he loved called Suspiria. I said that I'd be up for renting it and he said, "Oh, you can't rent it." That's what's great about Sarasota, The Arts are everywhere. I took him to a legendary local movie rental place called Renaissance Video. We walked in, asked for Suspira and the owner turned without missing a beat, pulled it off the wall and handed it to us. "No way!" Tim said, grinning ear-to-ear. From there, he insisted we drive through Taco Bell because he loved Taco Bell and "When you watch a horror film at 2AM," Tim said, "...you gotta have Taco Bell."
Sorry to offend horror movie buffs, but Suspira was disgusting drivel. When it finally ended, I sat there slumped in the chair, starring out between my fingers, when Tim, who hadn’t said a word during the whole film just turned to me with a mouthful of Chalupa and said, "I’m sorry."
We took in 9 films at the festival. Some were good and some were "artsy-awful." One we saw featured a hand-held camera during the entire film – a slow-moving, dramatic story that looked to the viewer like it was filmed with the camera man on a boat and everyone else on dry land. "Mix in a tripod!" was our four word review of that film. We dissected the films we saw over platefuls of sushi and good conversation. It was a great time.
Six months ago, Tim lost his battle with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form a cancer. He was 18 years old when he died and despite battling the disease for four years, he loved, he laughed, he played. And because of that, he really lived.
Because of his example, and the example of others who have left us too soon, we've got to squeeze the juice out of life. It's the play that helps makes it sweet.
Drink... It... Up!
I'll be walking in The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in honor of my nephew. If you'd like to help end this disease, please consider making a donation HERE.
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