Daniel Junge joins Abner Benaim doc on Panama’s spacefaring traveler
The untitled film follows Jaime Alemán, who has visited 193 UN-recognized countries, both poles and space.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Jaime Alemán has already checked off all 193 countries recognized by the United Nations, stood at both poles and become the first Panamanian to travel into space. Now his next chapter is getting the documentary treatment.
Oscar- and Emmy-winning U.S. director Daniel Junge has come aboard as executive producer of an untitled documentary from Panamanian filmmaker Abner Benaim, Variety reported. The film centers on Alemán, a 72-year-old lawyer, diplomat and businessman whose travel résumé is hard to top.
Alemán flew last year on Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-32 suborbital mission, according to Variety. The report said he has been traveling since he was 18 and is regarded as one of the world’s most accomplished travelers.
A reunion behind the camera
Junge and Benaim previously worked together on Benaim’s 2026 documentary “Tropical Paradise,” which won the Audience Award at the Panama Film Festival in April, according to Variety.
Junge told Variety he was pleased to work with Benaim again and described Alemán as a big, compelling figure whose life shows what can happen when the urge to explore the planet, and beyond it, is pushed to an extreme.
Benaim is one of Panama’s best-known filmmakers. Variety noted that his credits include “Invasion” and “Plaza Catedral,” and that his work has represented Panama three times at the Academy Awards.
The journey keeps going
The new documentary, produced by Benaim’s Apertura Films, will follow Alemán as he pursues another difficult trip: Tristan da Cunha, a remote, uninhabited destination that requires a five-day sea journey to reach, according to the report.
Benaim told Variety that filming has already taken place in the Azores, Brazil, Toronto and Panama. He said upcoming shoots are planned for Bangkok, Bhutan and Pakistan.
The filmmaker also told Variety that the Tristan da Cunha trip is planned for April next year. The island sits about 1,500 miles west of Cape Town, South Africa.
Alemán’s list is still growing. According to Benaim, he is also trying to visit Oymyakon and Death Valley, identified in the report as the coldest and hottest places on Earth, respectively.
The family angle is part of the story, too. Benaim told Variety that Alemán’s daughter Sofi is trying to visit all 193 UN-recognized countries, with her father supporting the effort. If she completes the goal, Benaim said they would be the first father-daughter pair in history to have visited all 193.
More than a passport story
Benaim told Variety the film may look at first like a sweeping travel documentary, with countries, poles, space and future expeditions all in the mix. But he said he is more interested in the inner life behind Alemán’s constant movement, including his fears, vulnerability and sense of purpose.
The project is expected to blend expedition footage with close access to Alemán, according to Variety. No title or release date was announced in the report.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.