It is the film that took the Cannes Film Festival by storm but has sparked fury here in Britain.
Ken Loach's damning portrait of the civil war in Ireland, The Wind That Shakes The Barley, opened in London last night.
Those attending the premiere at the Curzon Mayfair included John Pilger, Kathy Burke and Jon Snow.
But only a small minority of the British viewing public will be able to judge the film for themselves because just 42 of the 659 cinemas in Britain are set to show it.
That pales into insignificance compared with the 300 French cinemas which have requested the film since it won the coveted Palme d'Or at Cannes last month.
Despite the acclaim, the film has sparked fierce controversy. Set in the Twenties - after the Irish voted for independence from Britain - it tells the story of the ensuing war through the eyes of two brothers. Loach's supporters say The Wind That Shakes The Barley is an accurate account of the brutality of the British military. Critics say it is a partisan movie which paints a rose-tinted image of the IRA and distorts the truth.
The critics, who include the Democratic Unionist Party's Ian Paisley Jr, claim it is propaganda for the IRA and a "travesty of history".
However Loach says the film is a timely and impassioned critique of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
"This is a very little step for the British to confront their imperialist history," said the veteran film director. "Maybe if we tell the truth about the past, we'll tell the truth about the present." Loach himself blames Rightwing commentators "creeping out from under their stones, slagging off a film they've not even seen".
At least Londoners will be able to judge for themselves. A total of 20 cinemas will screen the film. Loach hopes that after his work has gone on general release tomorrow, public demand will help drive its distribution to a wider audience.
