There are things we have no control over, like when a loved one develops a condition, that there is no coming back from.
Chris Hemsworth, known for his big screen roles as Thor, lays bare his personal life as he grapples with the reality of his father, Craig, recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, slowly starting to feel the effects.
In an effort to grab onto his dad’s memories, and slow his cognitive decline, Chris embraces a method of social connection called Reminiscence Therapy to try to prolong his dad’s life and reduce the risk of dementia.
He did this by taking a road trip across Australia to common grounds and even returning to his childhood home, which was also propped out to replicate the way it was when he was a child.

This intimate, and sometimes heartbreaking documentary, A Road Trip To Remember was Executive Produced by Darren Aronofsky for Nat Geo and Disney+.
The film goes between the motorcycle road trip to revisiting people and memories from his dad, Roger’s, past life in an effort to stave off an upcoming fog.

It is available as of Nov. 23 on Nat Geo, then Nov. 24th on Disney+, and Hulu

Of special importance is the visit to the old home where the art dept re-created by referencing photographs. Posters, appliances, furniture and more were able to bring the long-ago life and spark a cognizance and connection.

Chris asks his father about his memories from a childhood photo of them that is one of Chris’ favorites. (credit: National Geographic/Craig Parry)

Chris and his father Craig talk around a camp fire while on their trip. (credit: National Geographic/Craig Parry)

Chris’s mother joins on the home visit and you can feel the struggle of her seeing her husband going through this.

To put onto video,  this emotional journey requires a very delicate and deliberate small film team.
There is an intimacy with this footage where as the viewer you get lost in the moments.

Only a few times do you see the effects of Alzheimer’s in full exposure, but very evident.

Chris and his father Craig meet with a friend, Spencer, in Bulman on their first visit back in 35 years. (credit: National Geographic/Craig Parry)

Chris and his father Craig take part in a blessing with Spencer. The welcome is a spiritual ceremony. The significance is to let the spirits know that Chris and Craig are back. (credit: National Geographic/Craig Parry)

Chris and his father Craig at a blessing in Bulman. (credit: National Geographic/Craig Parry)

Capturing this in video was the work of Jim Joliffe, director of photography.

Jim Jolliffe (courtesy of Jim Jolliffe)

There is a very gentle cinematic approach utilizing many tools in his kit.
You will see the father/son ride on the dusty trails of Australia, shot with a Russian Arm, not on a camera car, but basically a remote head on the back of a pick-up!
No time to get complicated.

In this intimate film, Chris goes on a road trip with his dad, who’s recently had an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, hoping to rekindle forgotten memories. (credit: National Geographic/Craig Parry)

When they walked around the recreated home, an Easy Rig was the perfect call.

Jim Jolliffe films during production of “Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember” in Australia. (credit: National Geographic/Craig Parry)

Shot with 2 Sony Venice cams, complimented by Zeiss super speed primes and Ironglass lenses, the only real lighting ever used were a few fluorescents.
Mostly natural lit.
There were 2 operators on the crew.

The artistry of Jim was shown in his ability to capture that honesty, without being intrusive.

His work has taken him all around the world, from shooting with the eagle hunters of the Altai mountains in Mongolia, to living with a Masai Mara tribe in northern Tanzania, to learning arctic survival skills from the Sami tribes’ people of northern Lapland.
IN addition, he was DP on the final episode of Limitless another Chris Hemsworth series.
No doubt that experience working together helped in the trust that allowed Jim to capture moments, reserved for the closest people.

This is a portrait of a man seeing his father slowly going into decline and trying to find a way to not only stop time, but to relive parts of his life while he was still able.

It’s a story of a family trying what they can to keep their loved one present.

Chris Hemsworth knows that Alzheimer’s is hereditary and no doubt embracing an effort not only to slow down the process with his father, but to perhaps understand his own future.