In a year when cinema often feels disconnected from reality’s urgent rhythms, Irish documentary filmmaker Gar O’Rourke has delivered something extraordinary with SANATORIUM, a Ukrainian-language film that has just been selected to represent Ireland at the 98th Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category. This isn’t just another festival darling or awards season contender—it’s a masterpiece of observational cinema that transforms what could have been tragedy tourism into something far more profound and necessary.
What emerges over 90 riveting minutes is a film that defies every expectation about wartime documentaries. O’Rourke opens with a manager on the roof shouting into his phone, “Igor, where the f*** are you?!” and immediately establishes that SANATORIUM will be many things, but a downer isn’t one of them. Instead, it’s strange, funny, heart-warming, and cathartic in its moments of lived poignancy—above all, it’s a tribute to human resilience that feels both specifically Ukrainian and universally recognizable.
The director’s instinct for character proves impeccable. There’s the perpetually hassled boss with his sharp wit, a young woman seeking fertility treatments who has found unexpected community, and a mother-son duo whose dynamic rivals any comedy partnership you know from home. These aren’t victims or symbols—they’re fully realized people navigating an impossible summer with dignity, humor, and an almost stubborn commitment to normalcy.
O’Rourke has described his vision of Kuyalnik as capturing “an intangible aura and magic within this building,” and he’s bottled exactly that. The film’s most powerful image—people taking outdoor mud baths while smoke from distant bombs rises on the horizon—encapsulates both the absurdity and the profound logic of their situation. It’s a shot that will haunt you not because of its despair but because of its defiant insistence that life, indeed, goes on.
This represents a significant moment for O’Rourke’s career, showcasing his ability to find the human story within geopolitical chaos without exploitation or sentimentality. Supported by Creative Europe MEDIA’s development funding, SANATORIUM demonstrates how Irish cinema can engage with global stories while maintaining its distinctive voice and perspective.
The film’s Oscar selection marks more than just international recognition—it signals Irish cinema’s growing confidence in tackling complex, urgent subjects with the sophistication they deserve. O’Rourke has created something genuinely beguiling, a documentary that makes the case for cinema’s unique power to find hope in the most unlikely places. In a world that often feels like it’s falling apart, SANATORIUM reminds us that sometimes the most radical act is simply the decision to keep going, mud baths and all.
Pierce Brosnan trades his 007 tuxedo for raw, devastating drama in CURTAIN CALL—arriving on digital November 10.
Starring opposite Jessica Lange, Brosnan continues his brilliant pivot from action hero to serious character actor, exploring the heartbreaking reality of dementia in the theatre world.
Watch trailer on irishfilmtv.com.
Colin Farrell`s latest is dividing audiences, but everyone agrees on one thing: his performance is absolutely magnetic ✨
The Oscar-nominated Irish actor stars as Lord Doyle, a spiraling gambler in neon-soaked Macao searching for redemption.
Don`t miss Farrell at his destructive best, now on @netflix!
Daniel Day-Lewis is BACK and we`re not ready for how devastating ANEMONE is 😭
After 7 years away from the screen, Day-Lewis returns in this quiet Irish masterpiece directed by his son Ronan. It`s not a flashy comeback—it`s something far more powerful. A meditation on isolation, guilt, and the human connections we can`t outrun, no matter how far we go.
ANEMONE is now on Prime!
Barry Keoghan goes blonde and badass for CRIME 101! 🎬
The Irish star trades blows with Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo in this high-stakes crime thriller, playing Orman, a thief whose methods are as disturbing as they are effective. With Detective Lou Lubesnick (Ruffalo) closing in and rival criminal Davis (Hemsworth) in his way, this heist is about to get messy.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
When Colin Farrell had to choose between a guaranteed paycheck on a hit TV show and a one-in-a-million shot at Hollywood, everyone told him he was insane. His friends said don`t do it. His family couldn`t understand it. He did it anyway.
Now in BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER (in select UK/Ireland cinemas Oct 17, Netflix Oct 29), he plays a man who understands risk better than anyone. Because Farrell`s been there. He bet everything on himself when he had nothing, and that decision changed everything.
Sometimes the craziest move is the only one worth making. 🎬
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Andrew Scott`s hot streak continues 🔥
From the Hot Priest in FLEABAG to his heartbreaking turn in ALL OF US STRANGERS, he`s now bringing that signature intensity to BLUE MOON as composer Richard Rodgers.
The film hits theaters Friday, more at irishfilmtv.com.
Michael Fassbender is trading the big screen for Netflix royalty!
The Irish-German powerhouse is set to play Joe Kennedy Sr. in KENNEDY, an 8-episode drama diving deep into America`s most mythologized family. No release date yet, but with Fassbender leading, this one`s already on our watchlist. 👑
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🔥 The feud that stopped a nation.
SAIPAN brings the explosive 2002 World Cup confrontation between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy to the big screen—and it`s not about football glory, it`s about ego, standards, and two men whose rivalry became bigger than the game itself.
Watch the new trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
Pierce Brosnan is trading martinis for mountains.
The legendary Irish actor stars in the CLIFFHANGER reboot as Ray Cooper, a seasoned mountaineer running a luxury chalet in the Dolomites with his daughter.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Brendan Gleeson is bringing all the feels in H IS FOR HAWK 🎬🦅
Playing the beloved father in this beautiful 2025 drama based on Helen Macdonald`s bestselling memoir, Gleeson delivers a performance that`s both tender and powerful.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Netflix`s BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER has an amazing new trailer!
Colin Farrell plays an Irish fugitive hiding in Macau`s neon underworld as "Lord Doyle," gambling desperately to outrun his past.
The film opens in theaters Oct. 15 and starts streaming Oct. 29 on Netflix.
Watch now via link in bio.
Saoirse Ronan is heading back to the `60s! 🎸
The four-time Oscar nominee is reportedly set to play Linda McCartney in Sam Mendes` wildly ambitious THE BEATLES project—four separate films, each following a different Beatle.
She`ll star opposite Paul Mescal (her FOE co-star) as Paul McCartney, with Barry Keoghan as Ringo, Joseph Quinn as George, and Harris Dickinson as John.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Cillian Murphy just confirmed THE IMMORTAL MAN drops in 2026 and Tommy Shelby is coming back with a vengeance. 🔥
Fresh off STEVE hitting Netflix, Murphy spilled the tea on The Graham Norton Show that the Peaky Blinders film has wrapped.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
Graham Norton isn`t going anywhere!
The BBC has locked in three more series of THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - with 2.9 million viewers tuning in and clips going viral weekly, Norton continues to prove why he`s the gold standard for celebrity interviews.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Cillian Murphy isn`t chasing blockbusters—he`s back in the classroom.
The Irish actor`s latest role in Netflix`s STEVE sees him playing a struggling teacher at a last-chance reform school, proving once again that he`s more interested in transformation than validation.
Watch Cillian`s TODAY interview via link in bio.
