Ireland has selected the Irish-made, Ukrainian-language film Sanatorium directed by Galway-born filmmaker Gar O’Rourke to represent the country in the Oscars International Feature Film category at the upcoming 98th Academy Awards.
Sanatorium had its World Premiere at CPH:DOX, and went on to screen at international festivals including Visions Du Reel, Edinburgh International Film Festival, DocuDays UA, Melbourne International Film Festival, and Galway Film Fleadh, where it won Best Irish Feature Documentary 2025.
Sanatorium takes a vivid look at Kuyalnik Sanatorium, a large 1970s building near Odesa in southern Ukraine, where a small group searches for love, healing & happiness, with mud treatments and Soviet-era therapies continuing despite a war close by. The biggest attraction is the mysterious black mud, said to cure infertility, physical disabilities and various other ailments. From the perspective of an Irish filmmaker, Sanatorium takes a unique look at a summer season at this unusual place, following the staff as they work hard to provide care, comfort and entertainment for visitors – even with the war nearby. For the guests, it’s a time to seek healing, love and renewal.
Writer/Director Gar O’Rourke commented, “To have the privilege of representing Ireland on the biggest stage in world cinema is an incredible honour, and I’m deeply grateful to IFTA and everyone who has been on this journey with us. Since the premiere of Sanatorium earlier this year, the international response has been overwhelming. This was a film that set out to show the power of healing, the resilience of community, and above all the strength of the Ukrainian spirit in the face of such traumatic times. None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary dedication of our Ukrainian crew and co-producers 2332 Films, the producers at Venom Films, and the invaluable support of Screen Ireland, amongst our many other partners.”
Sanatorium was selected by IFTA’s 2025 Selection Committee, that includes Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Kirsten Sheridan (In America, Disco Pigs); BAFTA & IFTA-winning filmmakers Rich Peppiatt (Kneecap, One Rogue Reporter) and Neasa Hardiman (Untamed, Happy Valley); Emmy & IFTA-nominated casting director Louise Kiely (The Banshees of Inisherin, Normal People); Emmy- nominated & IFTA-winning filmmaker Aoife McArdle (Severance, Kissing Candice); IFTA-winning actor Barry Ward (That They May Face The Rising Sun, Jimmy’s Hall); and chaired by IFTA Chief Executive Áine Moriarty.
The film follows in the steps of Oscar- nominated The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin) in 2023 and Oscar-shortlisted Kneecap in 2025.
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