Emily Watson recognised in Berlin for Small Things Like These

Emily Watson won Best Supporting Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival this weekend for her role as Sister Mary opposite Cillian Murphy in the screen adaptation of Claire Keegan’s bestseller Small Things Like These.

Set in a 1985 County Wexford town at Christmas time, the film follows Bill Furlong (Murphy), a coal merchant who makes a discovery which forces him to confront the complacency of a community ruled by the church.

During her acceptance speech on Saturday night, Watson said, "I had a front-row seat watching Cillian Murphy unravel, and it was truly a privilege. He had a dream that I was going to be in the movie, and here I am. Of course, I can't stand here without talking of the thousands and thousands of young women whose lives were devastated by the collusion between the Catholic Church and the State in Ireland."

Watson and Murphy are seen on screen alongside Cork actress Eileen Walsh and Game of Thrones’ Michelle Fairley, with the script written by Murphy’s longtime collaborator Enda Walsh and directed by Peaky Blinders’ Tim Mielants.

Small Things Like These will open in Irish cinemas later this year.