A new documentary released in theaters this November shines a harsh spotlight on the risks of cosmetic eye color surgery, following Miami resident David Taylor's troubling journey to permanently change his brown eyes to green through an FDA-unapproved procedure.
"Caterpillar," directed by Liza Mandelup and distributed by Good Deed Entertainment, premiered at SXSW before winning the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature at the Nashville Film Festival. The film opened in New York City on November 7 at Firehouse: DCTV's Cinema for Documentary Film.
The documentary centers on Taylor, a nearly 50-year-old biracial man who sought the controversial procedure after years of facing discrimination. Unable to afford the surgery independently, Taylor negotiated with BrightOcular, a company offering artificial iris implants, to undergo the procedure in exchange for promotional materials.
BrightOcular markets itself as a United States-developed artificial iris implant made from thin, flexible, biocompatible colored medical-grade silicone. According to the company's website, the device was developed for both medical purposes like treating conditions like heterochromia, ocular albinism, iris defects and also for cosmetic eye color changes. However, these implants have not received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the procedures are not performed in the United States.
The company promised Taylor that the surgery would be "life changing" and would make him "feel better and look better." Taylor traveled to India as part of a group of patients seeking the procedure.
In a striking moment captured in the documentary, a female patient asks the surgeon performing the procedures whether he would undergo the surgery himself. His response was unequivocal: "No, I'm happy with the color of my eyes."
When pressed further, the doctor told patients they could live without the procedure and "should avoid doing it... because there are chances of side effects."
Despite these warnings from the very physician performing the surgeries, the group proceeded with the implantations.
Taylor's experience quickly deteriorated. Due to an alleged packaging error, he received jade green implants instead of the frost gray color he had requested. Despite his initial frustration, he decided to proceed with the surgery, clinging to BrightOcular's promise that it would improve his life.
Within weeks, Taylor began experiencing severe complications, including:
Throbbing headaches
Extreme sensitivity to light
Excessive tearing
Persistent discomfort
When he consulted a local ophthalmologist, the doctor delivered troubling news: while there was no immediate collateral damage to his eyes, the implants needed to be removed. The physician explained that the artificial irises were "just sitting somewhere where there's no anatomical place for them to sit."
However, Taylor found himself trapped while lacking the financial resources or any access to remove the implants, even as his vision remained at risk.
The risks Taylor experienced are not isolated incidents. A 2018 case report published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports documented severe complications from BrightOcular implants.
The study described a 41-year-old male who presented with decreased vision approximately two years after receiving bilateral BrightOcular implants in Mexico. Medical examination revealed bilateral corneal decompensation with stromal edema and significantly reduced endothelial cell counts.
The study's authors concluded unequivocally: "Cosmetic iris implants, including the newer generation of BrightOcular devices, have been shown to have severely detrimental effects on corneal integrity. These devices should not be implanted, and removal on an urgent basis should be recommended to mitigate risks to ocular health and preserve vision."
"Caterpillar" marks Mandelup's follow-up to her 2019 documentary "Jawline," which examined male beauty standards and self-presentation in the social media age. Both films explore how social media-driven beauty ideals push individuals toward extreme measures.
Director Mandelup reflected on the difficulty of documenting Taylor's experience: "That felt very tough to witness, but I also felt like it showed the depths of searching for something to solve your problems and make you feel better and how far you will go to feel more excited to look at yourself."
Despite his complications and the need for removal surgery he cannot afford, Taylor's perspective at the documentary's conclusion reveals the psychological complexity of cosmetic procedures. "I'm happy that I got to try a dream," he says. "The eyes don't make me. I'm growing into the person I want to be."
His statement captures the tension between personal autonomy, the desire for transformation, and the medical realities of experimental cosmetic procedures.
"Caterpillar" arrives at a time when cosmetic procedures are increasingly normalized through social media influence and celebrity culture. The documentary serves as a cautionary tale about the intersection of beauty standards, self-image, and medical safety.
Yet beyond its value as cinema, the documentary provides crucial public health education about the real risks of pursuing cosmetic procedures that lack proper medical oversight and FDA approval.
As Taylor's story illustrates, the promise of physical transformation through cosmetic eye color surgery comes with potentially devastating consequences. While the desire to change one's appearance is understandable, especially in the face of discrimination and societal pressure, the medical evidence is unambiguous: cosmetic iris implants like BrightOcular carry serious risks to vision and ocular health.
"Caterpillar" is currently showing in select theaters."
Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.
(Rh/VK)
