Pioneering new South African documentary “Hearts Remember” (Pelo ya hopola) will have its global debut at the 17th International Conference on ageing in Cape Town .
Directed by the award-winning Paul Modjadji, the documentary delves into the reality of dementia and ageing in modern-day South Africa. Through powerful testimony of persons living with dementia, their families, caregivers, experts and community leaders, the audience is taken along on their personal journeys – from diagnosis to managing the condition.
Iconic South African soccer coach Clive Barker’s experience of living with Lewy body dementia is recounted for the first time, alongside Marinda Breedt who chronicles her Alzheimer’s journey, and TikToker Nduduzo Kay and his grandmother Zithi Elisabeth Khoza who has been living with dementia for half a decade.
Hearts Remembers gives a snapshot of how dementia is managed, particularly amongst elderly patients.
TV and Film icon Abigail Kubeka lends her voice to the documentary, narrating her experience of ageing and learning about the cognitive disease.
South Africa is hosting The International Conference on Ageing for the first time in 27 years. Delegates from around the world will converge on Cape Town from September 9 to 12.
The conference is organised by the Toronto, Canada-based International Federation of Ageing.
“It is timely to return to the African continent as the young population starts to embrace the future,” the IFA said in a statement. “Today there are some 75 million people in Africa aged 60 years and over, and they 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 cases each year.
Modjadji, an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health with the Global Brain Health Institute, said that Hearts Remember is a part of a slate of three projects aimed at raising awareness about ageing and brain health in South Africa.
He will also release a short film “The Last Holiday” led by Dr Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha and Dr Lillian Dube as well as a six-part documentary series chronicling persons living with dementia in South Africa and their families.
“Our aim is that through these projects we can get South Africans talking about brain health, ageing and dementia. The aim is to raise the profile of dementia advocacy in the country whilst dismantling myths and misconceptions about cognitive degenerative illnesses,” Modjadji said.
“It is our hope that the film will inspire younger generations and the elderly alike to value the beauty of ageing. In this film, we meet inspiring individuals who are living full lives at all ages, defying the challenges presented by the condition.” Said the film’s producer Wandile Molebatsi.
Hearts Remember was made possible with the support of The Alzheimer’s Association.