NI Doc Reaches For The Stars At Big Sky Fest

Carol Moore's 50 minute documentary 'The Father, The Dearer (funded by NESTA, Northern Ireland Screen and Community Relations Council) has been selected for screening at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana in February.
Moore filmed migrant worker Aleksej Fedjukovs over a year and a half and the film explores the separation from his family in Latvia as he worked in Belfast and Dublin to send money back to the family.
Moore commented: “Alex’s journey illustrates the sacrifices that he and millions of others make every year to secure better futures for their families. Nearly three years on Alex is still separated from his wife and children. He is now considering emigration to Australia.”
From February 14 - 20, 2008, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival celebrates its 5th year by showcasing 98 films from 40 countries. The official selections represent a broad array of filmmaking styles, formats and production dates, from classics to World Premieres. The 2008 films were selected from nearly 1000 submissions from across the globe.
Commenting on the documentary Aleksej said: “If you are staying on one step of the stairs, you cannot change something – you need to move up all the time. I saw an opportunity in Belfast and I took it. I see my door. I need to walk through. It’s very hard to leave your family when you are only able to see them two or three times a year. Sometimes I hate myself because I am not able to see the changes in my children.”
Since 2004 the festival has grown into a premier international venue for exhibition of innovative, contemporary and classic non-fiction cinema. Screenings are held in the historic Wilma Theatre in scenic downtown Missoula, Montana. BSDFF has built a reputation for its programming excellence and is the largest event of its kind in the American West.
(DS)