Song of the Sea (2014)
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A young boy must embark on a magical journey to rescue his mute sister, a selkie, from a witch's grasp.
The story
In 1987, on an island off the north-west coast of Ireland, a lighthouse keeper lives with his two children: Ben, who is resentful of his sister Saoirse, and Saoirse, who is mute. After Saoirse dons a magical sealskin coat and transforms into a selkie, she is abducted by a trio of daoine sí. Ben and Saoirse must navigate a perilous journey to retrieve the coat and save her from the owls of the witch Macha. Along the way, they encounter magical beings and must confront the mysteries of their mother's disappearance.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1981, lighthouse keeper Conor and his wife Bronagh live on an Irish island. After Ben is born, Bronagh disappears giving birth to Saoirse. Six years later, Ben blames Saoirse for his mother's disappearance and fears the water. On Saoirse's birthday, she finds a white sealskin coat and transforms into a selkie, only to be abducted by daoine sí. Ben and Saoirse escape and head for the lighthouse to find the coat. They encounter the Great Seanachaí, who reveals that Bronagh was a selkie who sacrificed herself so Saoirse could be born. Ben learns that the witch Macha has kidnapped Saoirse to restore her feelings. Ben finds Saoirse in Macha's lair and, by playing a seashell, breaks the jars holding Macha's feelings, restoring her kindness. Macha helps them return to the lighthouse. Finally, Ben conquers his fear of water to retrieve the coat from the sea. Saoirse sings, freeing all magical beings. Bronagh appears and offers Saoirse a choice; Saoirse chooses to stay with her human family, and Bronagh departs. The family celebrates Ben's birthday, and the siblings go swimming with the seals.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 94
- Production countries
- Ireland; Belgium; Denmark; France; Luxembourg
- Original languages
- English; Irish
- Directors
- Tomm Moore
- Writers
- Will Collins · screenplay; Tomm Moore · story
- Cast and characters
- David Rawle · Ben; Brendan Gleeson · Conor; Fionnula Flanagan · Bronagh; Lisa Hannigan · Saoirse; Pat Shortt · Granny; Jon Kenny · Cú; Liam Hourican · Great Seanachaí; Colm Ó Snodaigh · Macha
- Genres
- animated; fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- family; sacrifice; mythology; overcoming fear
- Tone and mood
- enchanting; painterly; heartwarming
- Setting
- An island off the north-west coast of Ireland in 1981 and 1987.
- Premise and plot tags
- Irish Folklore; Selkie; Siblings; Magic Realism
- Source material / true-story basis
- original story by Tomm Moore
- Franchise connections
- Irish Folklore Trilogy
- Content notes
- children's; fantasy
- Reception
- The film was acclaimed by critics and received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with high scores on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.
- Awards and nominations
- Satellite Award · Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature · win; European Film Award · Best Animated Feature Film · win; Academy Awards · Best Animated Feature · nomination; Annie Awards · Best Animated Feature · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's imagery is composed in the form of water-colours.; It is the second installment of the Irish Folklore Trilogy.; The Irish-language version was produced by Macalla.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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