Past screening

Burkitt

Directed by: Éanna Mac Cana
Runtime: 1h 12min Certificate: 12

Details

Directed by: Éanna Mac Cana
Runtime: 1h 12min Certificate: 12
Topics: Personal Stories, Science
Last Screened: Sat 13th Sep 2025

Q&A Page

Burkitt: Q&A

This strikingly original film explores the life and work of Denis Burkitt, an Irish surgeon who discovered and cured a rare lymphoma - which now bears his name - while working in pre-independence Uganda.

His story is examined by Irish filmmaker Éanna Mac Cana, himself a survivor of Burkitt’s lymphoma, as a creative response to his hospital treatment. Discovering the patterns, parallels and chance events between lives, Mac Cana creates a unique experience combining his personal recordings and Denis Burkitt’s own extensive and astonishing archive of photographs and films from sub-Saharan Africa.

Burkitt effortlessly weaves together the ethics of medical work, the legacy of colonialism and the impact of trauma, into a thought-provoking study that spans decades and continents.

The screening on Saturday the 13th of September was followed by a Q&A with director Éanna Mac Cana and public health researcher John Manton. Hosted by film and festival producer Gerry Maguire.

Q&A Page

Burkitt: Q&A