Irish Film Institute -International Film Directory – Film Listing

Song of the Sea

Amhrán na Mara

    • Director

      Tomm Moore

    • Principal Cast

      Brendan Gleeson
      Fionnuala Flanagan
      David Rawle
      Lisa Hannigan

  • Category

    Feature
    Animation
    Irish Language
    Family & Teen

Ben (David Rawle) lives in a lighthouse with his father (Brendan Gleeson) and mother (Lisa Hannigan) who enchants him with tales of selkies who transform from seals into humans. His happiness is disrupted when she passes away in childbirth leaving behind an unusual little sister, Saoirse, who remains speechless until her sixth birthday. Their father, still grieving, sends them to Dublin to live with their grandmother (Fionnula Flanagan), separating Saoirse from the ocean that is her life-force and Ben from his beloved hound, Cú. They set off home on a perilous journey encountering mythical demons along the way.

Tomm Moore’s Oscar-nominated film is a modern folktale where Celtic mythology sits comfortably alongside the reality of a grieving family and a heart-warming sibling relationship. With a soundtrack from Kíla, the delicately rendered, hand-drawn animation is as exquisite as anything from Studio Ghibli and is sure to delight audiences of all ages.

(Notes by Sunniva O'Flynn)

Irish Language version available with English subtitles

90 minutes, Ireland, 2014, Colour

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