‘Small Things Like These’ Clip: Cillian Murphy & Emily Watson In First Look At Berlin Film Festival Opener

EXCLUSIVE: On Thursday, the Berlin Film Festival will kick off with the world premiere of Small Things Like These, starring Cillian Murphy, who also produces, and marking the first time an Irish movie opens the Berlinale. In the exclusive first-look at the 1985-set drama (check it out above), Murphy’s family man Bill Furlong comes face-to-face with Emily Watson’s formidable Sister Mary whose convent is concealing dark and disturbing secrets.

Also starring Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley and Zara Devlin, the story plays out in the weeks leading up to Christmas 1985. Bill, a devoted husband, father and coal merchant living in the traditional Irish town of New Ross in County Wexford, is facing his busiest season. During his delivery rounds, he discovers that the local convent is in fact a cruel institution that takes in so-called ‘fallen girls and women.’ His reaction to this discovery forces him to confront some hard truths about the convent, his hometown — and his own life.  

Small Things Like These is directed by Tim Mielants (Peaky Blinders) and adapted by Enda Walsh (Hunger, Disco Pigs) from Claire Keegan’s acclaimed Booker Prize shortlisted novel. Keegan’s short story Foster was previously adapted for the screen as The Quiet Girl which debuted in Berlin in 2022 and went on to become the first Irish-language film nominated for an International Feature Oscar.

Of Small Things Like These, Murphy says he “fell in love with the book” and “very much wanted to play the part. And so, I thought, well the best thing to do then is to see if Claire will give us the rights and to see if we can put a team together.”

That team includes Artists Equity which financed the film after Murphy met Matt Damon while working on Oppenheimer. Producers are Murphy and his longtime collaborator and partner at Big Things Films, Alan Moloney, along with Artists Equity’s Damon and Drew Vinton; and Catherine Magee. Exec producers are Artists Equity’s Ben Affleck, Kevin Halloran and Michael Joe.

FilmNation Entertainment is repping sales on Small Things Like These which is an Artists Equity, Big Things Films, Screen Ireland, Wilder Films production.