Tim Mielants’ drama Small Things Like These, starring Cillian Murphy, is set to open the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 15.
The Ireland-Belgian production will receive its world premiere at the festival and will play in Competition. A first look at Oppenheimer star Murphy in the film can be seen above.
Set over Christmas 1985, Murphy plays devoted father and coal merchant Bill Furlong, who discovers shocking secrets kept by the convent in his town, along with some truths of his own. The cast also includes Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley and Emily Watson.
The film is set against the backdrop of Ireland’s Magdalen laundries, asylums run by Roman Catholic institutions from the 1820s until 1996, supposedly set up to reform “fallen women” – a term which included unmarried mothers and women deemed to have been, promiscuous, sexually abused or considered burdens on their families.
Small Things Like These is based on the book of the same name by Irish writer Claire Keegan, who also wrote Foster, adapted into the Oscar-nominated Irish-language film The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin).
It reunites Belgian director Mielants with Murphy, who previously worked together on the third season of TV drama Peaky Blinders. Irish playwright Enda Walsh, a longtime collaborator of Murphy’s, wrote the script.
The film was produced by Murphy and Alan Moloney (Brooklyn) through their recently launched Big Things Films along with Catherine Magee. Matt Damon and Drew Vinton also produce alongside executive producers Ben Affleck, Kevin Halloran, and Michael Joe for Artists Equity. FilmNation Entertainment handles international sales.
The film was financed by Artists Equity and Screen Ireland/Fís Éireann and was co-produced in Belgium by Wilder Content.
Murphy recently won the Golden Globe for best actor in a motion picture drama for his role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and has also been nominated for a SAG award.
Berlinale’s artistic director Carlo Chatrian said the film would be launched at the start of Zeitgeist Irland 24, a year-long celebration of Irish culture in Germany.
The Berlinale will run from February 15-24 with a Competition jury led by Lupita Nyong’o.
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