An award-winning film documenting the work of a Cork-based charity in Chernobyl opened the 49th Cork Film Festival yesterday. Present at the screening of the documentary Chernobyl Heart were the film's director, Maryann De Leo, and the founder of the Chernobyl Children's Project, Ms Adi Roche.
The 39-minute film, which was shot over a two-year period in Belarus, won an Oscar for the American filmmaker under the category of best short documentary. The film documents the effects of radiation and the high levels of cancer, birth defects and heart conditions experienced by children living in Belarus, the country most affected by the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
Established in 1956, the seven-day film festival has become one of Ireland's premier cultural events. This year's festival boasts a wide-ranging programme, with an eclectic mix of big budget pictures, world cinema, innovative independent films, documentaries and short films from all over the globe.
Opening night also saw the gala screening of acclaimed Irish director Damien O'Donnell's film Inside I'm Dancing. The tale of two men overcoming the odds won the audience award at the Edinburgh Festival, and was well-received by a packed auditorium in the Cork Opera House last night.
Other highlights include the Woody Allen film Melinda and Melinda, which was the Grand Prix Winner at San Sebastian 2004, and Look at Me, which won best screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival.