Small Things Like These
dir. Tim Mielants · 2024
Being alive means grappling with uncomfortable truths and the moral complexities of our choices in the face of societal pressures.
Bill Furlong, a coal merchant, stumbles upon unsettling truths hidden within the walls of a local convent, forcing him to confront the dark undercurrents of his community. Watching this film is like walking through a fog-laden town where every corner holds a whisper of the past, and the weight of unspoken truths hangs heavily in the air.
In 1985, while working as a coal merchant to support his family, Bill Furlong discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and uncovers truths of his own; forcing him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church.
Talking points
- the role of the church in society
- the nature of complicity and silence
- the impact of economic hardship on moral choices
- the representation of small-town life in cinema
