‘Jack has a Plan’ shines light on uncomfortable subject
A documentary about death and dying might not sound like the most uplifting subject, but filmmaker Bradley Berman promises audiences that give his new film a chance will come away inspired.
“On the surface, you think it’s a story about a guy who dies, but it’s really life-affirming,” Berman says. “It’s a celebration of what an amazing thing it is to reach the end of your life. And to give yourself permission to be happy”
The film follows Berman’s friend, Jack Tuller, a musician and storyteller who was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor and given six months to live in 1994. “Jack has a Plan” picks up 25 years later when Tuller, at 55, is grappling with the worsening of his condition. Faced with his diminishing capacities, Tuller hatches a plan to throw a going-away party, and exit life’s stage.
Berman says the idea for making the film actually came from Tuller himself. “He was totally aware of the condition that he faced and he wanted to leave a legacy. So he approached me, [and said] let’s start shooting something.”
“This gave me a way to slow down and spend some quality time with such a close friend,” Berman continued, adding that much of the film was shot with iPhones, capturing candid conversations, FaceTime calls and more. “I wanted it to feel like
you’re hanging out with him,” he said.
“Jack has a Plan” will have its world premiere on April 9 as part of the Florida Film Festival at Enzian theater, and though Berman’s illustrious career has taken him far from the sunshine state, he couldn’t be prouder to be debuting this highly personal film in his home state.
“I’ve lived in California and in New York for the past 35 years and I’ve had a great career as a writer, publisher now filmmaker, but I trace it all back to the time that I grew up as a young man and in Florida,” he said.
“Maitland Art Center was where I took my first photography class, and just fell in love with art and storytelling. And Enzian was
there since the time I just graduated college, and I would come back and that’s where I would see the cool art films and documentaries and foreign films that you just couldn’t see anywhere else.”
Tickets for the Florida Film Festival are available now at FloridaFilmFestival.com. In addition to seeing the world premiere of “Jack has a Plan,” festival-goers can also catch Berman during a special filmmakers panel on April 14 where he’ll dive into some more technical aspects of his filming process.