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Documentary on pioneering Trinity doctor begins tour

By David Lynch - 29th Jan 2025

pioneering Fermanagh doctor

A new documentary, which explores the life of Irish surgeon Dr Denis Burkitt, begins an Irish and English tour next month.

The film Burkitt looks at the legacy of Dr Burkitt, the Co Fermanagh man and Trinity College, Dublin alumnus who discovered Burkitt’s lymphoma, but it is also deeply personal for director Mr Éanna Mac Cana who was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma in 2017.

Speaking to the Medical Independent (MI) in November, Mr Mac Cana said “as much as my film tells the remarkable story of how Dr Denis Burkitt discovered and cured this type of cancer, I also give my account and experience of it.”

The film begins its tour in the Irish Film Institute (IFI) on Tuesday 4 February at 6.30pm. The screening will coincide with World Cancer Day and tickets can be purchased at https://ifi.ie/film/burkitt/

The tour will continue during February, with further dates in Belfast, Derry, London and other locations ( see https://denisburkittfilm.com/watch )

Mr Mac Cana told MI that the documentary would be of particular interest to doctors and other healthcare workers.

“I’ve put emphasis in my film on alternative ways of thinking, especially when it comes to problem-solving and approaching sensitive issues,” he said.

“I highlight how creativity helped me after hospital in dealing with my own challenging thoughts and feelings, but also how Denis Burkitt used creative thinking to simplify and solve complex cancer research obstacles he encountered in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The way he discovered, mapped, and cured Burkitt’s lymphoma across the African continent from 1957 to 1966 is nothing short of astounding.”

The medical work of Dr Burkitt, renowned physician, medical scientist and Trinity College alumnus, holds significance today, affecting the lives of millions worldwide.

Following his graduation from Trinity College Dublin in 1933, Dr Burkitt made two major medical discoveries, which won him world acclaim.  The first was to uncover the causes and pioneer a cure for the cancer known now as Burkitt’s Lymphoma.  The second was to confirm the link between many western diseases and the lack of fibre in the western diet. 

* https://denisburkittfilm.com/watch

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