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Ross McElwee Debuts ‘Remake,’ Shows Late Son’s Footage

7/31/2026

50 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Ross McElwee premieres “Remake” and a restored “Sherman’s March” at the Coolidge Friday.
A producer’s offer to buy “Sherman’s March” rights prompts 20-year-old Adrian to film his father signing the contract.
“Remake,” McElwee’s first film since “Photographic Memory” 14 years ago, mixes new footage.
The documentary includes home video of Adrian, who died in 2016 at 27 from a fentanyl overdose, and a eulogy.

History

Historical Context

In September 1990 PBS aired Ken Burns’ nine-hour “The Civil War,” reaching over 39 million viewers and winning more than 40 awards; its pioneering “Ken Burns effect” and extensive archival restoration inspired later American documentary restorations, prompting broadcasters to fund large-scale similar television projects nationwide across public and private sectors in the 2020s.

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Story summary

Ross McElwee premieres “Remake” and a restored “Sherman’s March” at the Coolidge Friday.
A producer’s offer to buy “Sherman’s March” rights prompts 20-year-old Adrian to film his father signing the contract.
“Remake,” McElwee’s first film since “Photographic Memory” 14 years ago, mixes new footage.
The documentary includes home video of Adrian, who died in 2016 at 27 from a fentanyl overdose, and a eulogy.

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