By Genevieve Wong, 18, Beverly Hills HS

“In the excerpt at right, Bob Flanagan explains why he enjoys masochism, the pleasure in being abused or dominated. I kind of expected the guy to be a pervert, but when I saw “Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist,” he turned out to be an amazing guy. He was born with the congenital disease cystic fibrosis, plagued with breathing problems and never lived a year of his life without going to the hospital. Despite living an abnormal childhood and having few friends, he was a philanthropist who donated his time entertaining sick kids who were also dying of cystic fibrosis. He kept his sanity and didn’t become bitter.
Director Kirby Dick took a very personal approach. The director put together a barrage of family interviews, home footage, as well as demonstrations of S/M.
Every scene was so touching and emotional. When I saw him lying miserably against the white backdrop of the hospital bed, so sick he had to be supported with respirators, I wanted to literally reach into the screen to hold his hand.
All of a sudden, it didn’t matter that some people viewed him as a freak, because I didn’t. “