Opening moments of the Berlinale set the tone for a festival full of conversations
Today, the spotlight at the Berlinale falls on a prominent feature film, opening the 74th edition with the drama Little Things Like These. It’s no accident that anticipation around Oscar chatter follows closely. The film arrives amid a strong Oscar season push, driven in part by Cillian Murphy, whose performance has positioned him as a frontrunner for best actor in the near future. Additionally, the creative team behind the film includes Murphy and Matt Damon in a project that navigates the same era and moral terrain as the father of the atomic bomb’s biography, and their collaboration signals a serious commitment to turning the story into a cinematic reality. The casting and thematic resonance reinforce a familiar character arc: an introverted man wrestling with a troubled past and moral dilemmas, a man whose good intentions collide with a challenging moral landscape. This alignment is expected to boost the film’s media visibility and elevate its presence at the festival beyond what its imagery alone might suggest.
The narrative centers on the Magdalena laundries, institutions funded and run by the Catholic Church that, from the mid-18th century through the end of the 20th, detained roughly 30,000 women deemed heretical or morally suspect. Reports from those years recount mistreatment and, in many cases, the stealing of babies, leaving a profound mark on collective memory. The film approaches this history from an external perspective, told through the experience of a man who uncovers disturbing events in his town’s convent during Christmas of 1985. He faces a choice: stay silent and risk everything by challenging the powerful women who control the convent, or speak out in a society that has largely chosen silence. The storytelling leans into melancholy and lyricism while exploring memory, pain, and the weight of shame. It nods to a lineage of filmmakers who brought similar weight to screen, while acknowledging its own distinctive approach under the direction of Tim Mielants, known for work with Murphy on a prior project. The question remains whether this collaboration can achieve the same emotional reach as the most ambitious cinema in the tradition of Terence Davies.
In parallel cinematic references, another clear touchstone for Little Things Like These is the 2002 exploration Las hermanas de la Magdalena, which sought to jolt audiences with stark depictions of those infamous institutions. Mielants, however, avoids melodrama and overt didacticism, choosing instead a subtler path that aims for the audience’s interior feel. The actor Murphy spoke to press about the lasting impact these laundries had on a collective psyche, noting that art can serve as a vehicle for healing, even if a film does not claim to realize that goal with unwavering conviction.
Conversations beyond the film
The festival is not without its political reverberations. Questions have arisen about how the movie will be received by various political groups, including far-right factions that observers say are unlikely to attend screenings. In a recent move, festival organizers withdrew invitations extended to some controversial political figures following protests from many in the film industry who argue that a festival committed to empathy, awareness, and tolerance should not lend a platform to ideologies perceived as incompatible with those values. This episode is one of several non-cinematic controversies surrounding the event this year, underscoring the broader debate about art, responsibility, and public discourse at a time of heightened political tension.
As the controversy surrounding political figures continues, another open letter from festival workers criticized a perceived lack of strong institutional leadership for not forcefully condemning ongoing humanitarian crises, including the tragedies in Gaza. This criticism followed protests by two filmmakers who declined to present their work in protest of international policy. The jury’s panel has found itself at the center of questions about balance, responsibility, and free expression, with reporters seeking clarity on how these tensions may influence the cinematic program and its reception.
President Lupita Nyong’o, who leads the jury, has been noted for offering a cautious stance when addressing questions about the ultra-right, emphasizing the complexity of a rapidly evolving political landscape. Filmmaker Christian Petzold has also spoken, expressing frustration with the way political debates can overshadow artistic dialogue while insisting that the festival remains a space for thoughtful reflection rather than sensationalism. Albert Serra, another juror, faced a question about a past interview in which he expressed admiration for a controversial figure. He framed his remarks within humor and provocative intent, underscoring the challenge of separating personal views from professional duties in a crowded festival setting. The atmosphere has become a forum for candid conversations about cinema, politics, and the responsibilities of artists and leaders alike, prompting audiences to consider how art can navigate, reflect, and respond to a charged public sphere. In a landscape where opinions can diverge sharply, the Berlinale persists as a stage for dialogue that is as important as the films themselves, inviting viewers to weigh performance, memory, and moral complexity against a broader social backdrop.
[Cited: Berlinale communications, 2024; festival press materials; contemporary coverage of festival debates and public statements]