Counter Attack and Imperfect Days bring patients’ experiences and Irish medical research to television audiences in October.
Tuesday October 6th
Two Irish documentaries exploring the lives behind medical research are scheduled to air on RTÉ One this October. Counter Attack is listed for Monday 12 October at 8:30pm, followed by Imperfect Days on Monday 19 October at 8:30pm.
Both documentaries were made under Science on Screen, a public engagement programme run by Rinn Medical Devices, part of the Rinn Network funded through Research Ireland, in partnership with Ardán.
Counter Attack follows people affected by cardiovascular disease alongside researchers working to improve how it is understood and treated. Directed by Tiernan Williams and produced by Maria O’Neill of Cluster Fox Pictures with Jaro Waldeck as Director of Photography, the film features musician Frankie Lane, who experienced a heart attack and cardiac arrest, his wife Anita Lane, and paramedic Pat McCarthy. It also introduces University of Galway researcher and vascular surgeon Dr Niamh Hynes, who focuses on the aorta, the body’s largest artery. Her research looks at predicting if, and when, an aortic rupture will happen, using AI and machine learning to build computer models, or “digital twins”, of aortas to understand the rupture process.
“Over the last ten years we have seen that film has a unique power to make research accessible. A paper can tell you what the data shows, but a story can show you what it means to live with a condition, to face a diagnosis, or to care for someone who does. As we all live longer, the question of how we maintain quality of life as we age becomes one of the most important conversations we can have, and it’s a conversation that works best when researchers, clinicians and the public are having it together. That’s exactly what Science on Screen sets out to do.” explains Professor Abhay Pandit, Director, Rinn Medical Devices.
“Our goal is to develop superior devices that are durable. We achieve this by uniting experts from diverse fields, including clinicians like myself, bioengineers, biomedical scientists, bioinformaticians and social scientists, all while keeping the patient at the heart of our team. We cannot grasp what is most important or urgent without their perspective. Conversations like these are crucial not only for raising awareness and prevention but also for helping people recognise how valuable their lived experiences with these conditions are to the research community.” — Dr Niamh Hynes, University of Galway.
Imperfect Days turns to the everyday realities of living with diabetes and taking part in clinical trials. Directed by David Qualter and produced by Laura Qualter of Prospect Films, the 25-minute documentary brings audiences into the lives of Carmel McDonagh, Tony Marshall and Faye Burke, who share their personal experiences of managing diabetes and taking part in clinical trials. Filmed in Dublin and Galway, it also features leading researchers and clinicians from University of Galway, Galway University Hospitals and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, including Professor Fidelma Dunne, Director of the Institute for Clinical Trials at University of Galway; Professor Seamus Sreenan; Professor Matt Griffin; and Dr Christine Newman. All are at the forefront of clinical trial research and innovation in Ireland and see its transformative effects first-hand. The film has an original score by Elma Morris.
Imperfect Days shows how clinical trials and public and patient involvement (PPI) are driving progress in diabetes research and care. Through pioneering trials in areas including gestational diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related chronic conditions, the HRB Diabetes Collaborative Clinical Trial Network is advancing research that is conducted not only for patients but with them.
The film was produced with funding from a Health Research Board (HRB) grant to the HRB Diabetes Collaborative Clinical Trial Network, under the umbrella of Science on Screen. It received an Honourable Mention for Best Short Film at Australia’s SCINEMA International Science Film Festival and was recently named a finalist at the CineHealth Film Festival in Philadelphia, USA.
“This film is really about partnership – between researchers, clinicians, and the people who live with diabetes every day. We wanted to show how collaboration and clinical research are not abstract ideas, but real forces that are changing lives across Ireland. It was great to work with Ardán and Rinn Medical Devices on this project and an honour to be tasked with creating the 10th documentary of the fantastic Science on Screen scheme.”— David Qualter, Director, Prospect Films
“Clinical trials are the bridge between scientific discovery and real-world impact. Through the Diabetes Collaborative Clinical Trial Network, we’re ensuring that research in Ireland reflects the priorities and lived experiences of people living with diabetes. Imperfect Days highlights just how vital that partnership has become.” — Professor Fidelma Dunne, Director, HRB Diabetes Collaborative Clinical Trial Network and Director, Institute for Clinical Trials, University of Galway
Through Science on Screen, filmmakers, researchers and patient contributors co-create engaging, emotional and inspiring stories that focus on lived experience and the research that aims to improve our quality of life as we get older. That creative freedom opens a two-way conversation between the public and the research community. The work at Rinn Medical Devices is built around three research pillars: cardiovascular-renal-metabolic health, neurological health, and cancer and inflammatory conditions.
Science on Screen began in 2015, with the aim of growing the visibility of STEM content in Irish film, animation and television. Imperfect Days is its 10th documentary, and an 11th enters production in 2026. To date it has reached over two million audience views and earned six international awards. The films have screened at 32 different film festivals in 17 countries.
“For more than ten years, the collaboration between Ardán and Rinn Medical Devices and its predecessor CÚRAM, through Science on Screen has played a huge part in Ardán’s goal to create opportunities for emerging filmmakers. The documentaries created not only highlighted the groundbreaking research taking place in Ireland, but also remind us that behind every illness or diagnosis there is a human story to be told. Science on Screen not only makes STEM subjects more accessible to the media audience but also provides valuable insights into the extraordinary work that is shaping the future of medicine.” — Alan Duggan, Chief Executive, Ardán
The Science on Screen programme continues under Rinn Medical Devices, with the 11th documentary about to start production through the Irish language. Research at the Rinn targets the chronic conditions that most affect people as they age, including heart and kidney disease, neurological conditions and cancer. Clinicians, regulators, statisticians, and financial and market specialists work alongside researchers, and patient voices shape priorities at every stage. Rinn’s approach to engaged research builds on 12 years of award-winning public engagement at CÚRAM, the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices.
Broadcast details
- Counter Attack: RTÉ One, Monday 12 October, 8:30pm. Watch the trailer
- Imperfect Days: RTÉ One, Monday 19 October, 8:30pm. Watch the trailer
ENDS
Notes to Editors
CROÍ Heart & Stroke Charity is leading the Irish pilot for the recently funded Heartsafe 2.0 Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) project together with an international consortium from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The Heartsafe team aims to improve survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) by enabling faster and better coordinated emergency response. More at https://hs2.nweurope.eu/
CÚRAM, the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices at University of Galway, produced the Science on Screen programme in partnership with Ardán since 2016. Its work continues under Rinn Medical Devices, part of the Rinn Network, established in 2026 and funded through Research Ireland.
Ardán (formerly Galway Film Centre) supports creatives in the audio-visual industry in the West of Ireland and beyond and partners with Rinn Medical Devices on the Science on Screen programme.
The Health Research Board (HRB) funded Imperfect Days through a grant to the HRB Diabetes Collaborative Clinical Trial Network, led by Professor Fidelma Dunne.
Counter Attack (2024): director Tiernan Williams; producer Maria O’Neill, Cluster Fox Pictures; DOP Jaro Waldeck. Contributors: Dr Niamh Hynes, Frankie Lane, Anita Lane, Pat McCarthy.
Imperfect Days (2025, 25 minutes): director David Qualter; producer Laura Qualter, Prospect Films. Contributors: Carmel McDonagh, Tony Marshall, Faye Burke, Professor Fidelma Dunne, Professor Seamus Sreenan, Professor Matt Griffin, Dr Christine Newman.
