The Diving Bell and Butterfly will be accompanied by a short introduction from film journalist and critic from the Sunday Independent, Hilary White.

Recorded as the IFI’s most popular film to date, Julian Schnabel’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly struck a resounding note with audiences when it played here in 2007.

An adaptation of journalist-cum-author Jean-Dominique Bauby’s eponymous memoir which recounts his life before and after he suffered a massive stroke at the age of 43, the film depicts his painstaking writing process, using just his left eye to communicate, letter by letter, to a speech therapist. A visually arresting tribute to the writer’s imagination and defiance, it is not surprising that cinema-goers identify so readily with this evocative portrayal of observation and perseverance. (Notes by Alice Butler.)

This film is screening as part of 20/20: Landmark Films at the IFI which is part of IFI20: Celebrating 20 Years in Temple Bar.