SATURDAY

Julian Schnabel’s remarkable The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Pathé, €24.99) tells the extraordinary story of French Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) who, although almost completely paralysed following a stroke — he can only move by blinking his left eyelid — refuses to accept that his condition is insurmountable.

Irish music romance 'Once', whose stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova have a best-song Oscar nomination, was named Best Foreign Film at the last night.

A moving and inspiring film – coming with a multitude of honours and plaudits – based on the book dictated astonishingly by Jean-Dominique Bauby using his one good eye to blink out the words.

Sean Penn and the Coen brothers were among the nominees for a prestigious film director's award which is seen as a barometer for the Oscars.