Doc about love, sex and disability heads for Finland, Sweden, Israel and Spain

RTÉ GLOBAL has licensed Somebody to Love, Wildfire Films' candid documentary about the romantic lives of the disabled, to YLE Finland, TV4 Sweden, Channel 8 Israel and Indigenius for RTVE Spain, it was announced today by Edel Edwards, head of programme sales for the Irish public broadcaster's newly rebranded television sales arm.

The one-hour observational documentary explores the issue of sexuality in people with disabilities, dispelling common myths in an area that is still a taboo for many. Sexuality is an integral part of human life and a basic human need. Yet for people with disabilities, the need for physical love is often ignored. Worse, our culture, society and even sometimes our judicial systems impose limitations about the romantic lives of the disabled. Filmmakers Anna Rodgers, who won a Best Director Television IFTA, and Zlata Filipovic tackle this complex subject with sensitivity and warmth, drawing on personal stories and experiences to offer an insider viewer of what is often a hidden world.

The deals come in the wake of RTÉ's success at the Banff World Media Festival earlier this month, where Secrets of the Irish Landscape — licensed to SNS and The History Channel in Australia and TVO in Canada — walked off with the prestigious Rockie Award in the Best Science and Technology category. They also serve to illustrate the growing international buzz around Irish creativity, Edwards said.

She added: “This is a powerful, thought-provoking and inspiring film that opens up the debate on a subject that's been ignored for far too long. It's been described as public broadcasting at its finest, bravely tackling big subjects like exclusion, self-esteem, gender and body awareness, and the right of everybody, regardless of physical or intellectual capacity, to have intimacy in their lives. It's heartwrenching yet heartwarming, it's funny yet serious, and it's great drama — all the qualities that make Irish storytelling increasingly valued around the world.”

Filmmaker Anna Rodgers said: "Myself and Zlata are really delighted to see this story being shared outside of Ireland. It's an important subject internationally, and we hope this documentary will contribute to a dialogue which needs to be happen."