The decision by the star of Oscar-nominated movie, Brooklyn, to accept the UN’s invitation to visit, provided the perfect opportunity for UN Radio to pilot its first full-fledged podcast.

The moving story about one young woman’s migration from small-town Ireland to Brooklyn, New York, in the early 1950s, led to a screening and discussion on the whole issue of modern migration and the refugee crisis, at UN Headquarters in New York, earlier this month.

Both writer Colm Tóibín, on whose novel the film is based, and the movie’s star, Saoirse Ronan, were on hand to speak about how the film’s plot mirrored many aspects of their own lives.

The UN Radio team worked with the UN’s Creative Community Outreach Initiative, to secure interviews, even managing to sit them down to talk in the iconic General Assembly hall.

But the biggest surprise, according to producer and presenter of the inaugural podcast pilot, Matthew Wells, was the way in which the UN staff at the screening, together with friends from around the world, identified so closely with the big themes raised by the film.

In the podcast, writer Colm Tóibín, says that every modern-day refugee and every migrant has an epic story, that deserves to be heard.

Ms Ronan tells UN Radio: “I feel like it is incredibly special that our film is being screened here, and that we have a chance to be included in the immigration conversation.”

Brooklyn is nominated for the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Ms Ronan), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Nick Hornby).

"The Lid is On" is also available on SoundCloud.