Tipperary native brings 20 years of research to the big screen

Carrick-on-Suir native Professor John Nolan saw more than 20 years of his scientific research brought to the big screen on Thursday September 24, as new documentary A Vision for Vision received its Irish premiere at Dublin’s Light House Cinema.

Professor Nolan, whose parents Helen and John Nolan Snr still live in Carrick-on-Suir, has built an international research career exploring the relationship between nutrition, vision and brain health.

The new documentary follows that journey and examines what his work could mean for how we protect our sight, cognitive function and quality of life as we grow older.

Directed and produced by two-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Wayne Chesler, the documentary explores Professor Nolan’s research into the relationship between nutrition, the eye and the brain, and what it could mean for how we protect our health and quality of life as we age.

The Irish premiere brought together leading figures from across Ireland’s health, science and education communities for a special evening hosted by Moya Doherty, with Clare McKenna as MC. Professor Nolan and Wayne Chesler joined Clare for a live discussion following the screening.

For me, this film is ultimately about taking the research beyond the scientific community and making it relevant and accessible to everyone” said Professor Nolan.

“We are learning more and more about the connection between nutrition, eye health and brain health, but that knowledge only really has value if we can bring it into people’s everyday lives.”

‘We are all living longer, and the goal shouldn’t simply be more years, but more years with good vision, good cognitive health and a better quality of life. I hope this film helps people understand that the choices we make throughout our lives can play an important role in how well we age.’

Moya Doherty added that “A Vision for Vision is a documentary for everyone - for mothers of young babies, for athletes, for those of us who yearn to age well with our sight and minds in good health. The storytelling is compelling, the science remarkable - a must see!”

Director Wayne Chesler said that “This film is deeply personal for me. I watched my mother live with dementia for years and experienced first-hand the heartbreak and helplessness that comes with watching someone you love decline and not having the answers you desperately want.”

“That experience ultimately led me towards telling stories about health and, when I met John, I saw an opportunity to take complex science and turn it into something that could reach and help people.

“To see the film premiere here in Ireland, where so much of that research began, was incredibly meaningful. If this film can help people think differently about their health and their future, then we have achieved something very worthwhile.”

A Vision for Vision follows Professor Nolan’s research from marigold fields in Mexico to research in Waterford, the nutrient-rich waters of Norway and on to Singapore, where the visual performance of elite athletes is explored. It brings together science, nature and technology to tell a story that is both highly visual and deeply human.

Professor Nolan’s research began with eye health and has since expanded into the eye–brain connection, cognition, Alzheimer’s disease and healthy ageing.

A Fulbright Scholar and full Professor at SETU, he is Founder and Director of the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland and has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Following its Dublin premiere, A Vision for Vision will continue its international rollout, with screenings in the United States and Mexico next month ahead of its launch on a number of major streaming platforms later this year.