The Irish drama tells the story of the so-called Magdalen laundries. More information here.
After his international success in the role of Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”, Cillian Murphy can now be seen in a new historical drama. In “Small Things Like These”, directed by Tim Mielants, the Irishman has once again secured a leading role. But that’s not all – the drama will open this year’s Berlinale on February 15th.
A journey into the winter of 1985
The only question that arises is, what is the work about which the Hollywood actor is traveling to the film festival in Berlin? “Small Things Like These” is based on the novel of the same name by Claire Keegan and tells the story of the so-called Magdalene Laundries, also known as Magdalen Homes, in Ireland. Between the 1820s and 1996, women were forced to do hard, physical, but unpaid work in order to “improve” themselves after they had generally fallen into disrepute in the eyes of society through, for example, illegitimate pregnancies, theft and similar crimes . And Cillian Murphy, in his role as Bill Furlong, gets insights into this world and now has to decide how to deal with the insights and feelings about it.
The Berlinale itself explains “Small Things Like These”: “Set during Christmas 1985, loving father and coal merchant Bill Furlong (Murphy) uncovers cruel secrets of the monastery in his town and learns shocking truths about himself.”
Aside from the 47-year-old, Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley and Emily Watson also star in the work. This is not the first collaboration for director Tim Mielants and Cillian Murphy: they also worked together on the successful series “Peaky Blinders” between 2013 and 2022.
It is still unclear when the drama will be released in our cinemas.