In the run-up to the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, it has been announced that the world premiere of Small Things Like These, an Irish-Belgian production starring Cillian Murphy, will open the festival on February 15.

The film, which also stars Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley and Emily Watson, is based on the book by lauded Irish writer Claire Keegan, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2022. Keegan also wrote Foster, which was adapted into the Oscar-nominated Irish language film An Cailín Ciúin.

Small Things Like These was directed by Tim Mielants, who previously worked with Cillian Murphy on the third season of Peaky Blinders. Enda Walsh, who wrote the script, has also collaborated extensively with the Irish actor.

According to the film's description on the Berlin International Film Festival's website, Small Things Like These "takes place over Christmas in 1985, when devoted father and coal merchant Bill Furlong (Murphy) discovers startling secrets kept by the convent in his town, along with some shocking truths of his own."

Delving into the horrific legacy of Ireland's Magdalene Laundries, the film was produced by Murphy and Alan Moloney through their company 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.

“With Small Things Like These, Tim Mielants tells the story of a man of few words, with wide open eyes, as clear as the skies of Ireland," says the Berlinale’s Artistic Director, Carlo Chatrian. "In The Quiet Girl we already had sense of Claire Keegan’s skill in portraying small, apparently simple characters and making them unforgettable; here her delicate, rich and yet down-to-earth writing finds a great interpreter in Cillian Murphy.

"We are confident that this story that allies the kindness to be directed to the more fragile, and the willpower to stand up against injustice, will resonate with everyone. We are looking forward to launching this ‘quiet’ yet quite exceptional film at the start of Zeitgeist Irland 24, a year-long celebration of Irish culture in Germany."