A new documentary about the Whiddy Island disaster in Bantry Bay has its world premiere in New York today.
Directed by Skibbereen film maker Adrian McCarthy, Whiddy is a 105-minute cinematic documentary about the 1979 disaster, when an explosion aboard the oil tanker Betelgeuse claimed 51 lives.
The film explores big business, money and power in the oil industry through first-hand testimonies. Adrian told The Southern Star: “Whiddy is a timely film as well as a cautionary tale.”
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He added: “After immersing myself in research and meeting people, I started to pull out from the disaster and realised what was more interesting was the bigger story, where a small rural community innocently welcomes, with open arms, an international corporation into their lives.”
A spokesperson for Screen Ireland said: “Screen Ireland is delighted to congratulate director Adrian McCarthy and the creative team behind Whiddy, the Irish documentary selected to receive its World Premiere at Doc NYC, America's largest documentary film festival.”
Six years in the making, the documentary features a soundtrack by Paul Hartnoll, renowned electronic musician and member of British band Orbital.
Whiddy screens at Cork’s Everyman Theatre on McCurtain Street at 5.30pm next Friday (November 20) as part of Cork International Film Festival. It is also in the running for the festival’s Best New Irish Feature Award.
