Asking Dad Dicey Questions

Documenting a family member’s radicalization into conspiracy theories creates profound emotional and professional friction. Zach Mack’s project, "Alternate Realities," explores this dynamic by tracking his father’s descent into beliefs regarding electromagnetic pulses, shadow governments, and election fraud. A $10,000 bet on specific apocalyptic predictions provided a necessary narrative structure, transforming volatile, circular arguments into a measurable, objective investigation. Adopting a producer’s perspective allowed for greater patience and curiosity, facilitating difficult conversations about the consequences of these beliefs, including potential financial ruin and the erosion of family bonds. While the microphone served as a buffer against defensiveness, the process remained an emotionally taxing experience that fundamentally altered the relationship between father and son, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining connection when shared reality fractures.