Northwestern Students Producing Documentary to Honor Late Friend

A former Northwestern University student who tragically passed away last year in a boating accident is the inspiration for a documentary film produced by his former classmates.

Northwestern students Ben Prawer and Jesse Swedlund, are creating "Ty's List," a docu-adventure capturing the interests and spirit of their friend Tyler Lorenzi.

"Tyler was my hero because he wasn't afraid to show people he cared about them," Prawer, who is currently studying film, says in the documentary preview. "He was always up for an adventure and could see the positive in any situation. His death served as a wake-up call to stop taking things for granted and start taking the risks that make life worth living."

Lorenzi, a 23-year-old engineer at NASA who graduated from NU in 2010, drowned after the small sailboat he and nine friends had commandeered capsized in Virginia's James River in May of 2011. Lorenzi and friend Justin Brown, 25, treaded water for hours but died from their injuries, according to news reports. The other eight were treated and released from a local hospital.

The filmmakers found a list of Lorenzi's favorite activities in San Franscico, his hometown, and plan on sending four of Lorenzi's friends to capture some of his favorite things to do in the city by the bay. The list includes finding the best burritos in San Fran, climbing mountains, walking across the Golden Gate Bridge and others.

Prawer and Swedlund will document the journey and capture what the four learn along the way, they say in the documentary preview.

The pair have already met the initial fundraising goal they'd set on the crowd-funding website, Kickstarter. As of Tuesday, they've captured $14,135, an amount exceeding their initial $12,000 benchmark but below the overall $20,000 goal. All money the duo raise will go toward buying camera equipment, paying for travel costs, hiring an editor, entering film festivals and other miscellaneous filming costs.

The Glen Rock Gazette reports filming should take place in August with a release date in the fall.

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