Overview

• IFTA's 2025 selection committee, chaired by chief executive Áine Moriarty, included Kirsten Sheridan, Rich Peppiatt, Neasa Hardiman, Louise Kiely, Aoife McArdle and Barry Ward.
• Directed by Galway-born Gar O’Rourke, the film observes residents of the Kuyalnik Sanatorium near Odesa, where Soviet‑era therapies and a “black mud” treatment persist despite nearby war.
• Produced by Dublin’s Venom Films (Ken Wardrop, Andrew Freedman, Samantha Corr) with Ukraine’s 2332 Films, it received backing from Screen Ireland, BBC Storyville, MetFilm Sales, France TV and Creative Europe.
• The documentary premiered at CPH:DOX and screened at Visions du Réel, Edinburgh, Melbourne and Kyiv’s DocuDays UA, winning Best Irish Feature Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh.
• Irish distributor Eclipse Pictures will open the film on 5 September, ahead of the Academy’s International Feature shortlist on 16 December, nominees on 22 January and the 98th Oscars on 15 March 2026.