Burkitt

After being diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, debut filmmaker Éanna Mac Cana becomes fascinated by the individual after which the cancer in his body is named after; surgeon Denis Burkitt. 

Drawing from a wealth of archival footage, Mac Cana sets out to capture the man behind an influential scientific discovery in this year’s artistic opening film. The director’s highly personal connection to the topic never gets in the way of this inquisitive journey through sub-Saharan Africa, fully engaging the audience along the way. A rich cinematic tapestry in which Mac Cana doesn’t shy away from raising questions on the ethics of scientific progress, while also turning a critical eye to the colonial and patriarchal layers to the trailblazing research that turned Dr. Denis Burkitt into a canonical figure for medical history.