I went to the Enzian Theater (1300 South Orlando Ave, Maitland, FL ) which hosts the Florida Film Festival. My goal was to sketch an event called Sip and Savor. It was a free festival tasting at Eden Bar with drinks provided by Breakthru Beverage. The outdoor bar is a great place for people to stop by before or after festival films. On this night there were tastings including Bahnaz Mezcal, and Misunderstood Whiskey.
The Eden Bar has a large mural designed by independent animation Bill Plimpton. Plimpton is a legend and a god in the independent animation realm. At a past screening of one of his animated films I purchased s single frame of his hand drawn animation for $5. I treasure that sketch although I need to find it in the chaos of my ever shifting life.
I didn’t notice any offerings by Breakthru Beverage when I arrived, so I ordered a beer to be polite as I sketched. The Eden Bar tends to pack full as people arrive to see a film and then they filter out when the film starts. A dear friend I had not seen for a while was at the table next to mine and we chatted as I sketched. My friend had moved out of Orlando to Brooklyn and then Austin Texas but ultimately returned to Orlando. I understand the enticing liberal pull that Orlando provides. I was in the process of looking to move close to downtown Orlando, so it felt good to reconnect.
Orlando is a small enough city where you can bump into friends at any time if you have an interest in events around town.
The film being shown on this night was If I Go Will They Miss Me a 92-minute film written and directed by Walter Thompson-Hernández. In the film, a twelve-year-old Lil Ant was a sensitive artist, enamored with the legends of Greek mythology and yearning to impress his emotionally distant father, Big Ant). Big Ant just got out of prison and struggled to connect with his wife and is embarrassed by the pictures his son draws of him looking heroic.
The feature film was adapted from his award winning Sundance film. The film was a tender, lyrical portrait of a strained father-son relationship against the backdrop of Watts, Los Angeles. Lil Ant’s working-class neighborhood was transformed by his adolescent visions of Greek gods and neighborhood boys wanting take off, like the LAX airplanes overhead. The film encapsulated the intersection between masculinity, legacy, and vulnerability. It was a mesmerizing film about the power to transform at any age.