Remake: “I hope that it provides—maybe some solace, but actually a better word is probably companionship—to people who’ve also experienced a loss akin to what I went through with the loss of a son.”

vHopeful Conversations Podcast · Oct 1, 2026 · 36m

I was honored to speak with the extraordinary filmmaker Ross McElwee about Remake, his profoundly moving new documentary built from a lifetime of footage—including material filmed by and with his late son, Adrian. In this intimate vHopeful Conversation, Ross reflects on returning to the archive after devastating loss; discovering Adrian’s own voice, humor, and unflinching filmmaking; the evolving relationship between cameras, privacy, and self-representation; and what a film can offer people grieving a child, a sibling, or someone they love. We also revisit the enduring brilliance of…