The next edition of the Berlin Film Festival is less than a month away, and the opening film has finally been announced. The adaptation of Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These led by Cillian Murphy will serve as the opening film at the upcoming Berlinale.
Small Things Like These is set over Christmas in 1985 in a small Irish town, and it follows a devoted father and coal merchant Bill Furlong (Murphy). He’s forced to face the shocking truths about himself and other residents after discovering startling secrets kept by the convent in his town.
This poignant drama has been inspired by Claire Keegan’s book of the same name, with Enda Walsh adapting it to the big screen. Tim Mielants directed Small Things Like These, which also stars Ciarán Hinds, Emily Watson, and Clare Dunne in supporting roles.
Berlinale’s artistic director Carlo Chatrian confirmed Small Things Like These as the opening film, and said it “tells the story of a man of few words, with wide open eyes, as clear as the skies of Ireland.”
The 74th Berlin International Film Festival is scheduled to take place from February 15-25, with Lupita Nyong’o serving as the jury president. Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding, Johan Renck’s Spaceman, and Atom Egoyan’s Seven Veils are some of the films set to premiere in Berlin.
