Clive Barker led Bafana Bafana to their historic 1996 AFCON win on home soil, but for years, few knew what happened to him after he stepped away from coaching. Now his story, and those of several other South Africans living with dementia, is being told on a global stage through the documentary “Hearts Remember,” presented this weekend at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in London.
The film marks the first time Barker’s experience with Lewy body dementia has been shared on screen. “The country deserved to know why he wasn’t coaching anymore,” says his son, John, who recounts his father’s final years in the documentary. Barker died in June 2023 at age 78.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Paul Modjadji, “Hearts Remember” looks at dementia and ageing in South Africa through the eyes of the people living it — and the families beside them. Alongside Barker’s story, the film features dementia advocate Marinda Breedt, influencer Nduduzo Kay and his grandmother Zithi Elisabeth Khoza, and screen veterans Abigail Kubeka and Lillian Dube, who share their own reflections on ageing and mental health. Together, their stories trace the full arc of the condition, from diagnosis through the day-to-day work of managing it.
“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,” Modjadji said, adding that contributors opened up their homes and lives in the hope of shedding light on dementia and reminding others of “the power of love to connect us through the various stages of our ageing and mental health.”
Neurologist and Memorability founder Dr Kirti Rachod, who also appears in the film, says the documentary is ultimately about compassion. “One of the greatest lessons is responsibility to care and love even when the only outcome is loss and grief… even in moments of despair, we are gentle with those we love,” she said.
The AAIC runs in London and online from July 12–15 at ExCeL London, and is considered the world’s top forum for dementia research. “Hearts Remember” has already premiered at the 17th International Conference on Ageing and screened at Johannesburg’s Human Rights Film Festival 2026.
Modjadji, an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health, says the timing matters: Sub-Saharan Africa’s older population is growing fast, from roughly 75 million people aged 60+ today to a projected 235 million by 2050. Globally, more than 57 million people were living with dementia as of 2021, with close to 10 million new diagnoses every year, according to the WHO.
“Hearts Remember” was made with support from the Alzheimer’s Association.
