Chris Hemsworththe well-known Australian actor who plays Thor in the Marvel cinematic universe, has just presented Road Trip to Remember. This documentary focuses mainly on his father, recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, with whom he embarks on a trip through Australia at the controls of a Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250.
Road Trip to Remember: A road trip to remember
In this documentary, Chris Hemsworth embarks on an intimate journey with his father by motorcycle, as they explore the scientific impacts behind social connection and reminiscence therapy as methods to stimulate mental activity, evoke memories and improve well-being.
Along the way they visit people and places from their shared past, from the suburbs of Melbourne to the wild expanses of Australia’s Northern Territories, to explore the deep science of social connection.
Through the stunning, vast Australian landscapes, Road Trip to Remember offers us a fun and moving exploration of the bond between father and son, proving that love, community and shared experiences can be powerful medicine.
“My father and I had always talked about returning to the Northern Territory, where our family lived years before, but we had never had the time to do it,” said Chris Hemsworth.
Concludes: “Recently, the idea of taking that road trip resurfaced with greater urgency. The result was a journey deeper, more moving and more surprising than I ever imagined.”
Road Trip to Remember, filmed in part by Chris Hemsworth himself, has been supervised by the Dr Suraj Samtania dementia specialist and clinical psychologist at the Center for Healthy Brain Aging at the University of New South Wales, who worked with the producers in collaboration with the Hemsworth family over the course of a year.
Dr. Samtani’s research, along with a recent global study of more than 40,000 people in 14 countries, revealed that those who had regular social interactions halved their risk of developing dementia.
Evidence shows that strong social connections can even slow cognitive decline after diagnosis. This crucial finding provides the scientific basis for key themes of the trip, including:
- Reminiscence therapy: Reviewing past experiences by talking to someone about them, using objects from the past (such as photos or home videos), or visiting places from the past is a great way to stimulate cognition.
- Social connection: Regular interactions, such as talking to a friend or having a confidant, have been shown to reduce the risk of early mortality.
- Social bridging: Participating in broader community activities, such as volunteering or group walks, is linked to slower rates of cognitive decline.
Road Trip to Remember will be released on Next November 23 on National Geographic and a day later it will be offered on Disney+ and Hulu.
