Last night, the powerful new documentary, TESTIMONY, was awarded Best Documentary Feature at the Irish Film Festival London awards, marking the continuation of its multi-award-winning festival run. The film celebrated its UK premiere last week at the festival, and will be released in UK and Irish cinemas from Friday, 21st November.
TESTIMONY follows an extraordinary group of women – supported by the activist organisation Justice for Magdalenes – whose fight to hold the Irish government accountable for abuses in the Magdalene Laundries, Mother and Baby Homes, and the forced separation of families, takes them all the way to the United Nations.
Ahead of the film’s upcoming theatrical release this Friday, it has already started to receive critical acclaim, being called “a stirring piece of activism” (The Reviews Hub) & with House Magazine stating “this devastating film should be required viewing for all politicians and policy makers”.
In attendance at last night’s ceremony to accept the award were survivor and contributor to the film, Madeleine Marvier, alongside Jane Libberton, the daughter of fellow survivor Philomena Lee. Speaking on the importance of the film’s latest win and their contributions, Director Aoife Kelleher said “It is very meaningful to have received this award in London, where so many survivors sought refuge from the abuse and trauma they had experienced in Ireland. I know that this award will mean so much to so many of them. Watching Madeleine Marvier, a survivor and contributor, and Jane Libberton, daughter of Philomena Lee, accept the award, and hearing the room fall silent as they spoke, was a very special moment, as the aim of this film has always been to help survivors to reclaim their voices.”
The multi-award-winning TESTIMONY, directed by award-winning filmmaker Aoife Kelleher (Mrs Robinson, One Million Dubliners), captures the unwavering determination of the Justice for Magdalenes team as they work to hold the Irish government accountable for decades of institutional abuse. Through unflinching honesty, the film raises urgent questions about justice and accountability, serving as both a tribute to survivors’ resilience and a stark reminder of the cost of silence. Above all, it is a rallying cry and a call to action, urging society to confront its complicity and ensure such abuses are never repeated.
The Magdalene Laundries were institutions operated by religious orders with state complicity up until the late 90’s in Ireland. These institutions imprisoned and dehumanised women under the guise of “moral rehabilitation”, causing survivors to endure forced labour, physical and emotional abuse, and the lifelong stigma of being labelled “fallen”.
Many survivors’ trauma also extended into Mother and Baby Homes, where unwed mothers were coerced into surrendering their children for adoption. Countless of these separations were executed in secrecy and without consent, with home “residents” also being subjected to horrifying practices, including vaccine trials and human trafficking.
