TESTIMONY
Friday, February 27 • 4:10 PM • T2
Documentary Feature | Woman Writer & Director | North American Premiere | Award Winner
Screening generously sponsored by Blessinger Legal PLLC & Gerri Fiala
A profoundly moving documentary chronicling the fight for justice by survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes. The film captures the determination of these women, supported by the advocacy group Justice for Magdalenes (JFM), to hold the Irish government accountable for decades of institutional abuse. From grassroots campaigning to delivering powerful testimony at the United Nations, their journey is a testament to the strength of collective action and the enduring impact of these dark chapters in Irish history.
DIR Aoife Kelliher; Rachel Lysaght; PROD Rachel Lysaght, Farah Abushwesha; DOP Eleanor Bowman, Michael Lavelle. Ireland, 2025, color, 105 min. In English. NOT RATED
CONTENT WARNING: Mature themes, including sexual violence, historic institutional abuse (Magdalene Laundries). Potentially upsetting scenes. Moderate sex/nudity.
AWARDS: Law Society of Ireland's Justice Media Awards 2025; the ICCL Human Rights Film Award - Dublin International Film Festival; Best Documentary Feature - Irish Film Festival London 2025
"Raw, defiant doc gives voice to survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries." - Screen Daily
"★★★★ The shocking story has been dramatised in films such as Philomena (2013) and Small Things Like These (2024) but it needed telling in documentary form, and Testimony does that compellingly." - Daily Mail
"The use of home recordings, news clips, propaganda footage, and reenactments all paint a vivid picture of the withholding and destruction of evidence by the Church and state." - Film Ireland Magazine
Funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, in association with the UK Global Screen Fund with the participation of ARTE GEIE, RTE and Comisiún an Meán.
🎟 For further information regarding bookings:
Please call 301-495-6720 between M-F, 9 AM - 5:30 PM or email silverinfo@AFI.com
Aoife Kelleher is a filmmaker and writer, from Dublin, Ireland. Educated at DIT and at Oxford University, her debut documentary feature film, One Million Dubliners, received numerous awards, including Best Irish Feature Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh and Best Irish Film of 2014 in The Irish Times. She has worked in current affairs for RTÉ and TV3 and made documentaries on a range of issues, from the Irish prison service to the country’s response to the AIDS epidemic. In 2018, she was nominated for Best Director at the Irish Film and Television Awards for her documentary, We Need To Talk About Dad, which was also nominated for Best Documentary. Her critically acclaimed RTÉ documentary series, Growing Up Gay, was described as “superbly made” (The Irish Times) and "groundbreaking" (Irish Independent).
DINNER AND A MOVIE DEAL
Our festival partner, McGinty's Public House, has generously offered an ongoing discount from February 27 through March 2 for all CIFF ticket holders! When you dine at the restaurant, show your CIFF ticket or pass for a 10% off discount on your bill. Located just around the corner from AFI Silver Theatre, McGinty's (911 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring, MD 20910) is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat between screenings.
The Capital Irish Film Festival is supported by the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme, Culture Ireland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Embassy of Ireland, Northern Ireland Bureau, Northern Ireland Screen, and the Irish Film Institute’s IFI International Programme supported by Culture Ireland. Solas Nua is supported by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.
