Synesthesia and Storytelling: Nicola Rose on Magnetosphere and Depicting Neurodiversity on Screen

In episode #49 of Autism and the Neuroverse, Alta and Dr. Park speak with filmmaker Nicola Rose about her film Magnetosphere. Set in the 1990s, the film follows a teenage girl with synesthesia — a neurological condition where senses blend, allowing people to see sounds, taste shapes, or feel emotions as colors.Nicola shares her research process, including interviews with individuals who live with synesthesia, and how she translated those experiences into authentic cinematic language. Together, the guests discuss how synesthesia connects to neurodiversity, the challenges of sensory overload and burnout, and why storytelling matters in helping us see the world through different perspectives .9/22/25