The tragic death of director Jhoan Camitz two months ago in New York ended a budding, yet already accomplished, career. In a relatively short time, the 38-year-old had made an indelible mark on commercialmaking. From a professional perspective, one can’t help but think about what he might have done in the years to come. His family and friends, though, have found what they believe is an appropriate way to help keep his spirit alive, while at the same time attaining a sense of completionaand closureafor their comrade. They have established a memorial fund to help finish a project, outside the filmmaking arena, that was near and dear to the director’s heart.
That sizeable project is the M/S Stjernorp, a 110-foot steamship built in the 1870s. Camitz bought the ship in 1994 and spent considerable time restoring it to its greatness of yesteryear, working closely with his father and brothers. The Stjernorp became a wonderful obsession for him, with painstaking attention to detail that paralleled his work in film. He had made considerable progress in restoring the vessel, which is currently docked in Stockholm. But much work remained to be done at the time of his passing.
"What he was really looking forward to, after years of restoration, was to sail his boat with his family, with his girlfriend, with his friends. And that was what he was coming home for this summer when he was taken from us," relates Maria Tamander, founder/executive producer of Moma, a Stockholm-based boutique production company. Earlier Camitz and Tamander were partners in now defunct MOD:film, a leading Stockholm production house, where she helped to develop his directorial career.
"It therefore seemed only fitting to set up a memorial fund to complete the boat, to start chartering her to generate funds," continues Tamander. "Once a year on a memorial day, those of us who loved him will gather to give a scholarship to a young, up-and-coming filmmakeraa new Jhoan, perhaps."
Camitz’s family also plans to offer the restored Stjernorp to charitable organizations for use in their fund-raising activities. Tamander estimates that another $100,000 and approximately five months of work are needed to return the ship to its glory days, as envisioned by Camitz.
The memorial fund has been set up at a Stockholm bank: Handelsbanken, P.O. Box 5238, SE-102 45 Stockholm, Sweden. For those interested in wiring a contribution, the account number is 6110-121 659 992, and the swift address is HANDSESS.