More than a decade ago, author and academic Gerda Saunders was diagnosed with cerebral microvascular disease - a precursor of dementia. In THE GERDA THAT REMAINS, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and inquiry as the effects of the illness begin to unravel her identity. Born and raised in South Africa during the early years of apartheid, Gerda was shaped by her academic experiences and inquisitive nature. Her success in school carried over into a career of writing and teaching math, science, English, and gender studies. But at the prime of her life's work, Gerda's brain began to fail her. Her degenerative brain became a new space for study from a scientific and personal perspective. "Every time my brain suffers an additional insult, I have less brain power to puzzle out my remaining self," Gerda says. Filmed over the course of six years, Gerda moves through her changing realities with intimacy and honesty in front of the camera. Observational footage draws viewers into her psychological experience as she navigates the loss of certain parts of her intellectual identity in real time. While her verbal skills remain strong, she articulates her experience of dementia with groundbreaking nuance, poetry and vulnerability.
