Movie documents transformative effects of friends, good food
May I Be Frank, an independent film about "sex, drugs and transformation," will be presented Sunday, Nov. 14, at Skidmore College. The movie will be screened at 7 p.m. in the Arthur Zankel Music Center.
Admission is $10 for the general public, and $5 for senior citizens, and free for
students.
The movie documents the transformation of the life of Frank Ferrante, a 54-year-old obese, depressed, and addicted man who stumbles one day into Caf Gratitude, a raw, organic, and vegan restaurant in San Francisco. When Ryland, a server, asks Ferrante what is one thing he wants to do before dying, Ferrante replies, "I want to fall in love one more time, but no one will love me looking the way I do."
Ryland, his brother Cary, and Conor, his best friend, are inspired by the possibility of helping Ferrante, which they do for the next 42 days. During that time, Ferrante eats only raw food, practices gratitude, visits local holistic practitioners, and has a weekly colonic. His transformation includes a new body, a clearer mind, and most important, a soaring spirit.
May I Be Frank documents the essence of the human condition and what it means to fall in love again.
The film has been endorsed by Alice Walker, Woody Harrelson, and Jason Mraz, among many others. Musician, humanitarian, and environmental advocate Jason Mraz says, "This film is a triumph... where the hero defeats the villain within himself AND gets the girl in the end. I've followed Frank on his transformational journey a few times now, and each time I do, I awaken to something new and true about my own life's purpose. This film is an amazing gift for thoselooking to cultivate their soul resources."
It has been recognized and won awards at film festivals across the U.S. including the Awareness, Green Lifestyle, Kountze, Real to Reel, Saulsalito, and Topanga Film festivals.
After the screening, Frank Ferrante and Conor Gaffney, one of the filmmakers, will
discuss the film in a question and answer session with the audience.
This event is co-sponsored by the Skidmore Nutrition Action Council (SNAC) and Speakers Bureau with additional support from the following: Health Promotions; Honors Forum; Students Promoting Social Change; Benef-Action, the Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work department; Environmental Action Club; the Exercise Science department; and the Film Appreciation Troupe.
