Viggo Mortensen, who lost his parents due to dementia-related complications, came out of his real-life trauma by writing his new film “Falling”.
In the film, which Mortensen also directed, he stars as John, a gay man who welcomes and cares for his conservative father, Willis (Lance Henriksen), who is battling dementia.
The 62-year-old actor was not afraid to deal with the sensitive issue because he lived it many times while taking care of his parents who died two years apart.
“There has been a lot [dementia in my family] and I have seen it several times over the years … even as a caregiver. It helped me to write Willis’s character and the way he relates to others, ”Mortensen told Fox News.
VIGGO MORTENSEN SPEAKS CHILDREN, SMARTPHONES AND NEW FILM
Mortensen added how “certain phrases, certain fragments of conversations and obviously dementia” from his family experiences inspired certain scenes.
Throw Henriksen as Willis and Viggo Mortensen as John in ‘Falling’.
(BRENDAN ADAM-ZWELLING / QUIVER DISTRIBUTION)
The Academy Award nominee explained how he wanted dementia to be portrayed in a very specific way on the screen.
“We, the observers, the caregivers, can be confused, but they really see, feel and hear these things. So it’s complicated. You have to find ways to be flexible and you have to sacrifice your ego and not fix them,” he reasoned.
Mortensen’s co-star, Henriksen, told Fox News that he did not simply want to “get caught acting” but rather “wanted to live it”.
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The 80-year-old added that he “didn’t judge” the character because “if you live long enough, no one will go through this life unscathed”.
Mortensen directing Henriksen in a ‘Falling’ scene.
(BRENDAN ADAM-ZWELLING / QUIVER DISTRIBUTION)
Mortensen summed the film up to a simple theme: communication or lack of it.
“It is a film that really deals with communication and communication problems,” he said of the dynamic between father and son.
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He added: “It was beautiful to feel that everyone [on-set] I was personally and emotionally involved in what we were doing. “
“Falling” opens in theaters and on VOD on February 5.
Ashley Dvorkin of Fox News contributed to this report.