The news of John Polonia's passing hit me hard. John was a few years younger than I am, and like me had a wife and young son. Seeing the subject of that first e-mail was just shocking - my heart sank and I just felt so sad for John's family. I went right upstairs and hugged my son.
I'd e-mailed with his brother Mark a few times, but unfortunately I can't say I knew John personally - I knew the kind of person he was from watching his work and from what others had told me about him.
My friend Co once wrote of me that he admired me because I "made movies because no one told me I couldn't." I take that as a compliment - that sometimes you just have to plow ahead and make what you want, as best you can, with what you have. I feel like Mark and John Polonia were like that.
I am reminded of how I felt when Don Dohler passed away. Don made movies as best he could, with what he had. Don was always kind and helpful to fans, and his passing was a great loss for our moviemaking community.
The Polonia's inspired so many of us - from having made one of the early shot-on-video movies picked up by rental chains to being so prolific, making gobs of movies that always had a particular homemade charm.
I pray for Mark and for John's family.
1 comment:
I never met John Polonia or his brother, but I have seen a couple of their films and I do admire their sense of wonder and tenacity. Thirty-nine is way too young. R.I.P.
OK HW
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