Ireland Picks "Sanatorium" for Oscar Race

The Irish Film and Television Academy has selected Ireland’s official entry for the international feature film category of the next Academy Awards.

“Sanatorium,” the Irish-made, Ukrainian-language documentary, is set to represent the country at the 98th Oscars, following in the footsteps of last year’s “Kneecap,” which was shortlisted, and 2003’s “The Quiet Girl,” which became the first film submitted by Ireland to be nominated.

The feature debut of Galway-born filmmaker Gar O’Rourke, “Sanatorium” takes a vivid look at at Kuyalnik Sanatorium, a large 1970s building near Odessa in southern Ukraine, where a small group searches for love, healing and happiness and where mud treatments and Soviet-era therapies continue despite a war close by. 

The biggest attraction is the mysterious black mud, said to cure infertility, physical disabilities and various other ailments.

The film had its world premiere at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen in their main international competition, DOX:AWARD, in late March.

“Sanatorium” is produced by Venom Films by IFTA-winning Ken Wardrop and Andrew Freedman (“His & Hers,” “Making the Grade”), along with Samantha Corr. 

It was was co-produced by 2332 Films Ukraine and made with support from Screen Ireland, BBC Storyville, MetFilm Sales, France TV, and Creative Europe. 

The film was edited by John Murphy (“The Quiet Girl”), with Denys Melnyk (“Militantropos”) as director of photography. 

Irish Distributor Eclipse Pictures will release the film in Irish Cinemas on September 5.

The Oscar international feature shortlist will be announced on December 16 and the final five nominees will be announced on January 22.