Song of the Sea
Mohaq - ages 8+ - Ajyal Youth Film Festival 2014
Tomm Moore / Feature Narrative / Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, France / 2014 / 93 min / Colour / DCP / In English, Gaelic / Arabic, English subtitles / MENA Premiere
Rated: Parental guidance is advised. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.
Synopsis
Six-year-old Saoirse and her older brother live in a lighthouse with their father, who is distraught over the loss of his wife, who disappeared several years earlier. Saoirse does not speak, but when she discovers a shell flute that belonged to her mother, she produces spellbinding music that becomes her main means of communication. Little does she knows that the shell is also a key to enter a magical and mysterious world.
After ‘The Secret of Kells’ – a fictionalised account of the creation of the ‘Book of Kells’, the illuminated manuscript of the Bible that is an Irish national treasure – Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Tomm Moore delves again into his Irish roots to deliver a dazzling hand-drawn film inspired by the legend of the selkies, enchanted creatures who live as seals in the water and as humans on land. Lush visuals, luminescent with a keen sense of light, landscape and atmosphere, illustrate this gorgeously crafted animation, which recalls the style of Pictish stone carvings. With its haunting soundtrack and lovely story, ‘Song of the Sea’ is a beautiful art work, bound to delight children and adults alike.
About the Director
Tomm Moore was born in Newry, Northern Ireland, and studied animation at Ballyfermot College in Dublin. He co-founded the animation studio Cartoon Saloon, and has written, produced, animated and directed short films and commercials. In 2009 he co-directed the animated feature ‘The Secret of Kells’, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
Credits
- Director
- Tomm Moore
- Screenwriter
- Will Collins
- Producer
- Tomm Moore, Ross Murray, Paul Young, Stephan Roelants, Serge Umé, Marc Umé, Isabelle Truc, Clément Calvet, Jérémie Fajner, Frederik Villumsen, Claus Toksvig Kjaer
- Editor
- Darragh Byrne
- Music
- Bruno Coulais, Kíla
- Sales Company
- WestEnd Films
- Production Company
- Melusine Productions, The Big Farm, Superprod, Nørlum, Cartoon Saloon
- Cast
- Brendan Gleeson, Fionnula Flanagan, Pat Shortt, Jon Kenny, Liam Hourican, Colm Ó’Snodaigh, Lucy O’Connell, Kevin Swierszcz, David Rawle, Lisa Hannigan