History can be very painful, especially in the case of long-buried injustices. The Lost Children of Tuam, produced by Liam Neeson and directed by Frank Berry, tells such a real-life painful story from Ireland.
Monica Dolan (Sherwood, Mr Bates vs The Post Office) portrays history enthusiast Catherine Corless, who researched the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway, for a local historical society, only to uncover the devastating possibility that as many as 796 children had been buried in unmarked graves on the property.
The horrible discovery led to rallying cries and a campaign for justice for both victims and survivors of the home, “confronting deep wounds that continue to shape Ireland today,” according to press notes. Excavation of the mass grave began in the summer of 2025.
The Lost Children of Tuam, which world premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh in July, will screen in the Centerpiece Program of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), beginning on Sunday, Sept. 13. The film won the best Irish film honor at Galway.
“The Lost Children of Tuam is a profoundly moving and important piece of filmmaking,” said Charlene Lydon, programmer of the Galway Film Fleadh, about the film. “Frank Berry approaches this story with immense sensitivity, compassion and humanity, creating a film that honours the lives of the children and the experiences of survivors while confronting a painful chapter of our shared history.”
Neeson optioned the rights to a 2017 New York Times article, entitled The Lost Children of Tuam, by Dan Barry to base the film on. Frank Berry (Aisha, Michael Inside) directed the movie, the script for which was written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (The Salt Path, She Said). Besides Dolan, the cast also features Andrew Bennett (God’s Creatures, The Quiet Girl) and Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones, Derry Girls).
The cinematographer was Kate McCullough, with editing by Colin Campbell and Nathan Nugent. Element Pictures, Big Red Films and El Paso Productions produced the film in association with Port Pictures and co-producer Besides Pictures. The Lost Children of Tuam is presented by Screen Ireland and BBC Film in association with Fremantle, Coimisiún na Meán, MK2 and RTÉ
mk2 is handling world sales. Volta Pictures Distribution will release the film in Irish cinemas on Sept. 25, with Picturehouse Entertainment releasing it in the U.K. on Oct. 9.
While the story may be Irish, the film touches on such universal themes as memory, the treatment of children who may be deemed “undesirable” and institutional accountability.
“Driven by an unwavering sense of moral justice, Corless exposed one of the darkest chapters in modern Irish history and sparked a profound national reckoning,” the TIFF website says about The Lost Children of Tuam. “Berry mines compelling dramatic tension from Corless’ painstaking archival work, patient persistence, and determination to ensure the deceased children would not remain invisible. As Corless’ inquiries were met with indifference, skepticism, and even resistance, she refused to abandon the evidence until it proved impossible to ignore.”
THR can now exclusively premiere a trailer for The Lost Children of Tuam ahead for its international premiere at TIFF. Meet Dolan as Corless and – well, see for yourself!
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