Liam Neeson still recalls the deep sense of shock and shame he felt when he read a 2017 New York Times article about the mother and baby institution in Tuam, County Galway. The article detailed the efforts of Catherine Corless, an amateur local historian, to uncover the abuse and neglect by Irish nuns that led to hundreds of children being buried in a large, unmarked grave. "I had a visceral reaction," Neeson told the Guardian. "I'm obviously Irish, I was raised in the Catholic church, and I had a deep sense of embarrassment and obligation for the truth to come out and for there to be some accountability." This experience inspired the actor—once an altar boy—to become a film producer for the first time, using his influence to bring the story to the screen. Nine years later, the result is The Lost Children of Tuam, a feature film now being released in Ireland and set for a UK release next month. The film coincides with ongoing excavations at a 5,000 square meter site in Tuam, where the Bon Secours religious order is believed to have buried 796 infants who died at the St. Mary's mother and baby home between 1925 and 1961. Since work began last year, an international team of forensic archaeologists has uncovered the skeletal remains of 99 babies and children, thanks in part to Corless’s research, a judicial commission, and a government promise to seek truth and justice for survivors and families. This effort is part of a broader reckoning with the mistreatment of women and children in state- and church-run institutions across Ireland. Tuam, however, stands out for its grim details—some infants were buried in a disused septic tank—and the determination of Corless, who refused to accept "no" in her quest for answers. Corless, a former textile factory secretary with a passion for local history, began researching the site for an essay. Officials and the Bon Secours order initially dismissed her, but she uncovered records showing that 796 children had died without burial records before the institution was closed in 1961 and demolished. The film, based on a New York Times article by Dan Barry, is written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and directed by Frank Berry. Early reviews praise it as sensitive and stirring, with English actress Monica Dolan delivering a powerful performance as Corless. "She's brilliant—so natural, so down to earth," Corless said, noting how Dolan captured her manner of speaking despite having an English accent. Andrew Bennett, who plays her husband, Aidan, also portrayed their relationship accurately, according to Corless. Corless has watched the film three times—twice for her family and survivors, and once at the Galway Film Fleadh in July, where it won best Irish film. "I was so nervous I needed to see it a few times," she said. "We're ordinary people. We have a farm. That a film would be made about us, it was out of this world. It's done with great respect, with the odd little bit of humor in it too, and it just hits people, it hits you hard." Director Frank Berry praised Corless's integrity and persistence, saying her work revealed hard truths about Ireland and showed that one person can achieve amazing things.