Trailblazing SA documentary “Hearts Remember” to present at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London, UK

Legendary South African football coach Clive Barker’s battle with dementia is one of several inspiring stories in the ‘Hearts Remember’ documentary, which will have its European premiere in London this weekend.

It is the first time Barker’s experience of living with Lewy body dementia has been recounted on screen. 

“The country deserved to know why he wasn’t coaching anymore,” said Barker’s son John, who powerfully recounts his father’s final years in the film, which will show at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. 

The documentary shines a light on the experiences of Marinda Breedt, who chronicles her Alzheimer’s journey, as well as influencer Nduduzo Kay and his grandmother Zithi Elisabeth Khoza, who lived with dementia.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Paul Modjadji, the documentary interrogates the reality of dementia and aging in modern-day South Africa.

The audience is invited to join the personal journeys of those affected by dementia, from diagnosis through management.

“It is a tremendous honour to be invited to the AAIC 2026 conference to present a collection of deeply moving South African stories on a subject that is hardly spoken about in our society,” said Modjadji.

“The contributors in the project invited us into their homes and lives with the shared hope of shedding light on our communities while reminding all of us of the power of love to connect us through the various stages of our aging and mental health .”

One of the greatest lessons is responsibility to care and love even when the only outcome is loss and grief, that even in moments of despair, we are gentle with those we love. This is reflected beautifully in “Hearts Remember” with the very personal stories shared. Said Dr Kirti Rachod, neurologist and founder of Memorability.

TV and Film icons, including Abigail Kubeka and Lillian Dube, also lend their voices to the documentary, sharing their thoughts on aging and mental health. 

The Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026 takes place in London, UK, and online from July 12–15, 2026, This premier event for the global dementia research community is hosted at ExCeL London.

AAIC is the world’s leading forum dedicated to advancing dementia science. The event brings together scientists, clinicians, and healthcare professionals to share research on Alzheimer’s and related conditions.

‘Hearts Remember’ had its global premiere at the 17th International Conference on Aging (IFA) and was screened at the Human Rights Film Festival 2026 in Johannesburg. 

Modjadji, an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health with the Global Brain Health Institute, said that research has shown that film can reduce the stigma of mental health conditions.

It is hoped that sharing deeply personal narratives will help to reduce stigma.

As Sub-Saharan Africa’s population ages, promoting healthy aging and dementia awareness has never been more important.

Today, there are some 75 million people in Africa aged 60 and over, a figure that will quadruple to around 235 million by 2050.

 Over 57 million people were estimated to live with Dementia worldwide according to the World Health Organisation in 2021, with nearly 10 million new diagnoses each year. 

‘Hearts Remember’ was made possible with the support of The Alzheimer’s Association.

ENDS