A new documentary which explores President Barack Obama’s Irish roots will be screened at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.

“Barack Obama’s Irish Roots” is a 90-minute film  which charts the 8,000 journey of Obama’s ancestors from County Offaly to Hawaii, via Maryland, Indiana and Kansas.

Created by Irish filmmaker Gabriel Murray and produced by Don McGuiness, the film has secured a worldwide distribution deal  with the U.S distributor  who hopes to market the film to the Irish Diaspora.

"This is a simple story of how one Irish family emigrated to America -- one of millions but an Irish family related to the most powerful man now in the western world. I wanted to find out what caused this family to leave Ireland and what drove them to trek across America," Murray told the Irish Independent.

Along with interviews and archived photographs, the documentary includes re-enactments of important moments in the U.S. presidents family tree.

The Irish premiere of the film took place in Ollie Hayes’ Bar in Moneygall last Friday night.
"We could have something bigger in Dublin but this is where our story begins and we wanted local people down here to see it first," added Murray.

The film will be screened at Cannes on May 10.

Watch this clip below of President Barrack Obama talking about his Irish roots in 2007.