The feature documentary “Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God” has picked up three Creative Arts Emmys for exceptional merit in documentary filmmaking, outstanding writing and outstanding picture editing.

The movie is about child abuse by a Catholic priest in a US school. It tells the story of four deaf men who were abused during the 1960s and who sought to expose the Catholic Church’s cover-up of pedophilia around the world.

Directed by Alex Gibney it was partially funded by the Irish Film Board.

Speaking to our sister publication, the Irish Voice, Gibney said “I was raised Catholic so it was obviously an emotional issue for me...I mean, it’s a shocking story for anyone but particularly for Catholics.

“What motivated me to take it on was the particular poignancy of this story, involving over 200 deaf students and the fact that they appear to be the first ones in the United States who raised a public protest about what happened to them.”

He spoke about the cover ups involving the Catholic Church and also governments. He ended by saying “Criminal prosecutions should only stop when we know that the cover ups have stopped.

“Prosecutions are important in terms of making them stop. You’re now seeing them in the United States where priests are being held to account not just for abusing but also for covering up abusing priests.

“That’s why survivors are so furious at the church, because it doesn’t seem to understand the need to show justice.”

Read the full interview here.

Check out the trailer for the documentary here: