The award-winning film, The Magdalene Sisters, which has been criticised by the Vatican, opened the Cork Film Festival last night.
The film follows the experiences of young women living in a convent which took in unmarried mothers 40 years ago. Starring Cork actress Eileen Walsh, it tells four women's stories.
It received the Golden Lion award at this year's Venice Film Festival.
The award was described by Vatican Radio as "offensive." The film's Scottish director, Peter Mullan, said the Vatican's decision to denounce it was ill- advised as it had only increased its public profile.
"I don't know why the Vatican bothered to slag off me or my film.
"They've only given us some wonderful publicity. The best thing they could have done would have been to ignore us completely."
American powerhouse Miramax has paid $1 million for the rights to distribute the film in the US.
Magdalene Sisters was inspired by the documentary Sex in a Cold Climate screened on Channel 4 in 1998.