A new documentary following Waterford-based scientist Professor John Nolan and his more than 20-year exploration of nutrition, vision and brain health will receive its Irish premiere at Dublin’s Light House Cinema on Thursday 24th September.
Directed and produced by two-time Emmy Award winner Wayne Chesler, A Vision for Vision takes the science out of the laboratory and into the world, exploring what Professor Nolan describes as an ‘overlooked universe’ – the complex relationship between nutrition, the eye and the brain.
The film travels 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.
At its heart is a question with relevance for all of us: could the choices we make earlier in life influence how well we see, think and function as we grow older?
Professor Nolan’s work 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.
For Chesler, the film also has a personal dimension as his interest in brain health was shaped by caring for his mother, who lived with dementia. That experience informed his work and collaboration with Professor Nolan.
The documentary aims to make Nolan’s science accessible to a wider audience and encourage a more proactive conversation about how we protect our eye and brain health as we age.
Following its Irish premiere at the Light House Cinema on 24th September, A Vision for Vision will continue its international rollout, with screenings in the United States and Mexico next month and further plans to bring the documentary to audiences worldwide.
Audiences can watch the trailer and find details of forthcoming screenings, international releases and viewing opportunities to be announced at profjohnnolan.com/a-vision-for-vision.
