NEW YORK — Filmmaker Ross McElwee's new film, "Remake," opens Friday at Film Forum in New York. The film incorporates reflections on his family, his past films, and the 2016 death of his son, Adrian.

Adrian McElwee died at the age of 27 from a fentanyl overdose. During his twenties, he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, went through rehab, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Ross McElwee characterized Adrian's later years as "seven years of sporadic hell." Adrian McElwee was taken to a hospital emergency room after overdosing while he was a college student. After this incident, he moved in with his father.

"Remake" excerpts and comments on McElwee's previous films, including "Sherman's March," "In Paraguay," and "Photographic Memory." McElwee directed the documentary "Sherman's March" in 1986, which is currently playing at Film Forum in a new restoration. McElwee states that his family is the center of his films. Adrian McElwee said, "I just love the deep surprise of the ocean."

Ross McElwee filmed "In Paraguay" in 1995 with his then wife, Marilyn, and their son, Adrian. The film "Photographic Memory" was released in 2011, when Adrian McElwee was 21 years old. During the period covered in "Remake," Marilyn McElwee sought a divorce from Ross McElwee. He confirmed in a recent interview that his filming at home was one of the reasons for their divorce.

Ross McElwee accepted an offer from a movie producer for the rights to make a fictional adaptation of "Sherman's March." He accepted this offer in part to hope for a job for Adrian in the Hollywood production. Adrian McElwee complained that his father should have followed the lucrative path of a Hollywood director. Adrian McElwee reproached his father for having turned down an offer to make a TV commercial. Adrian McElwee also said that his father should have tried to make him a child star rather than making his childhood a subject of documentaries. Adrian McElwee said that Ross McElwee should be "reversing the roles, sometimes, a little more."