The Berlin Film Festival Berlinale will open with a Belgian film, set in Ireland and starring Cillian Murphy.
The 74th edition of the annual film festival will run from 15 to 25 February. It will begin by showcasing 'Small Things Like These', the on-screen adaptation of award-winning author Claire Keegan's novella of the same name.
Set in rural Ireland in 1985, Cillian Murphy plays coal merchant and father Bill Furlong. The film follows Furlong as he prepares for the Christmas period at work and at home. Murphy previously worked alongside Belgian director Tim Mielants on the hit series Peaky Blinders. The rest of the cast includes Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley and Emily Watson.
The story provides a startling glimpse into the Catholic Church's history of institutionalising Irish women in the Magdalene laundries from the 1820s until 1996. It examines the role of the individual in holding the institution accountable.
"We believe this story, combining kindness towards the vulnerable with a will to fight injustice, will resonate with everyone," stated Berlinale's Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian.
Cillian Murphy stars as Bill Furlong in the film 'Small Things Like These'. Credit: Berlinale
Keegan's novella won the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction in 2022 and was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize and the Booker Prize. 'An Cáilín Ciúin' ('The Quiet Girl') is an on-screen adaptation of another of Keegan's publications, called 'Foster', and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Ten Belgian films have been selected to feature at Berlinale so far, including 'An Invincible Summer' by Arnaud Dufeys, and 'Young Hearts' by Anthony Schatteman, a Belgium-Netherlands co-production.
The release date for 'Small Things Like These' in Belgium has not yet been announced.
