Anatomy of a Life is a hybrid documentary exploring the lived experience of dementia, caregiving, and systemic neglect. When Richard is diagnosed, his daughter Emma begins filming their time together. What starts as an attempt to hold onto moments becomes an emotional reckoning with mental decline and the fragile systems of support. As her caregiving role intensifies, Emma faces burnout, anticipatory grief, and financial isolation, a burden rarely centered in conversations about dementia. When filming her father directly no longer feels ethical, the story transitions into the fictional world of Richard’s novel, The Cynical Optimist, where he reflects on his past with clarity and agency. Through humor, imagination, and love, the film argues that preserving mental dignity is as vital as preserving life itself.

Anatomy of a Life is a participant of the 2024 (Egg)celerator Lab.