Burkitt

A documentary exploring the life of Irish surgeon Denis Burkitt, who discovered Burkitt's lymphoma, as told by a survivor of this cancer.

In this lyrical and layered documentary, local filmmaker Éanna Mac Cana, details the remarkable story of how Dr. Denis Burkitt, an Irish surgeon from Co Fermanagh, discovered an aggressive type of cancer in 1950s Africa called Burkitt's lymphoma. This is a deeply personal film for the director as he was diagnosed and treated for Burkitt's lymphoma in 2017.

Through weaving together the patterns, parallels and chance events between lives, this creative documentary examines the nonlinear impact of trauma, colonialism and the ethics of medical work through an artistic lens and highlights the importance of creativity in dealing with these issues. Mac Cana interweaves his own personal recordings from Belfast City Hospital with Dr. Burkitt’s never-before-seen archive of photographs & films from sub-Saharan Africa. The director provokes thought about illness, healing and faith, seeking to illustrate how personal adversity can be channelled into something creative and showcasing the power of creativity as a tool for healing.

‘Burkitt’ was funded by TG4, NI Screen, ILBF & Little Ease Films. It premiered in-competition at Docs Ireland before screening at the 36th Galway Film Fleadh and as part of Science Week Ireland in 2024.