The Toronto International Film Festival is no stranger to powerful stories, but few have hit as hard as The Lost Children of Tuam. The film, directed by Frank Berry and starring Monica Dolan as amateur historian Catherine Corless, chronicles a dark chapter in Irish history that remained buried for decades. At the festival, producer Liam Neeson, Berry, and Dolan sat down with Collider's Steve Weintraub to discuss the making of the film and the emotional weight it carries.
The story begins in the 2010s when Corless, a local historian in Tuam, Ireland, started digging into the records of the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home—a Catholic institution that housed unwed mothers and their children from the 1920s to the 1960s. What she found was staggering: nearly 800 infant and child deaths were recorded, but there were no corresponding burial records. Her relentless investigation eventually led to the discovery of a mass grave on the site, sparking national outrage and a reckoning with the country's past.
For Neeson, the story was personal. Raised as an Irish Catholic and once an altar boy, he felt a visceral reaction when he read Dan Barry's 2017 New York Times article about Corless's findings. "A building rage I had inside myself, and embarrassment," he recalled. That anger propelled him to action. "I thought whatever my status within the film community is, if there's something I can do," he said. He reached out to producer Jules Daley, and together they brought the story to the screen. "It had to be told—has to be told, has to be shared," Neeson emphasized.
Director Frank Berry was equally committed to honoring the truth without sensationalizing it. In the interview, he explained how the film avoids exploiting the tragedy, instead focusing on Corless's methodical, compassionate approach to uncovering the facts. Berry also discussed the "survivor sequence," a powerful segment that gives voice to those who lived through the institution, ensuring their stories are heard with dignity.
Monica Dolan, who delivers a quietly devastating performance as Corless, shared her preparation process. She immersed herself in Corless's world, studying her research and meeting her to understand the emotional toll of such work. Dolan noted that the role required balancing the weight of the subject with the resilience of the woman at its center. "She's not a crusader in a cape," Dolan said. "She's an ordinary person who did something extraordinary."
The film also highlights the ongoing impact of Corless's work. Berry and Neeson revealed that an excavation project, still underway this year, aims to identify the children buried in the mass grave and give them back their names. It's a slow, painstaking process, but one that offers a measure of justice to the families who have waited decades for answers.
Beyond the film, the conversation touched on Neeson's long career. When asked which of his 106 movies taught him the most about himself, he gave a surprisingly introspective answer: "Every one of them has taught me something, some aspect of myself, but I'm still coming to terms. I'm 74, but at times I feel I'm 18. Not energy-wise, but just mental-wise." It's a rare glimpse of vulnerability from the action star, who is known for his tough-guy roles.
The Lost Children of Tuam is a sobering reminder of the power of truth and the importance of confronting uncomfortable histories. As Neeson put it, the story "had to be told," and thanks to the dedication of Corless, Berry, Dolan, and Neeson himself, it now has a global platform. For those looking for more gripping true crime, check out this overlooked thriller or Taylor Sheridan's latest crime series on Netflix.
