1. Song of the Sea (2014)
Song of the Sea is an example of an international co-production. This is beneficial as it allows more
employment in multiple countries for a single film project, as well as more money from said
countries’ film funds. There were five countries involved in this film: Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg,
Denmark and France. Since Ireland led the production of the film, it was mainly focused on this
country’s folklore and mythology.
Because the film is not classed as mainstream, it relied heavily on film boards and funds for money
to produce it. However, as an international co-production, it could receive money from several
countries. From Cartoon Saloon’s native Ireland, the Irish Film Board; Melusine Productions made
the film eligible for the Film Fund Luxembourg; and Norlum’s presence in Denmark allowed for
funding from the West Danish Film Fund. Also, because all the countries involved in this film were in
the EU at the time of production, there was funding from the Eurimages Fund of the Council of
Europe. Some of the budget was also invested in the Belgian Tax Shelter to reduce the tax costs of
the film.
The relatively serious subject matter at times gave the film a PG rating in the UK and Ireland, so
some issues were already breached slightly, especially with the frequent presence of death.
However, while it is non-mainstream, there were some standards that were still followed. Profanity
is limited significantly to one quiet complaint of “Oh, Jesus, Mary and Joseph” from Ben when trying
to find shelter while Saoirse insists on staying out in the rain. Physical violence is also limited to
fantasy-related, such as being turned to stone, as fantasy means it is impossible or highly unlikely to
occur in reality.
The film makes use of digital hand drawn animation, an enhanced version of traditional animation
which involves computers instead of ink and paint on celluloid. It is also noted for a unique art
direction, with a watercolour aesthetic and the faded colour gives the backgrounds a realistic
quality. Also, because it is digital animation, computer software is used to create depth to the quality
of the animation, particularly when using layering for motion to make the experience feel more
realistic.
The film was first shown at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2014. Three months later, it
received a wide release in France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Haut et Court were responsible for
distribution in France while O’Brother Distribution handled distribution in Belgium. It also received a
limited release in North America, making it eligible for that year’s Academy Awards. It was then
released in Ireland in July 2015 with StudioCanal.
While it does stray from the mainstream norms much of the time, the film also has some common
features with other films. It is a portrayal of native culture, which often occurs in non-American
films, with said culture being Irish. There is an emphasis on family, most notably with the
antagonistic relationship between the main protagonists in the first act of the film. There is also
some physical humour and stakes that are set in motion by a misinterpretation from other family
members, their father and their grandmother. a travel montage as the main protagonists are moved
to the city, which is shown to be Dublin, from their island lighthouse home.
While attempting to reach home, they encounter several mythical creatures and beings, with the
sister herself being part of them. Fictional creatures actually being real is a common theme across
cinema. It is also while meeting one such group of mythical creatures that perils emerge, particularly
from the owls of Macha the owl witch who turns people to stone to remove their emotions. Also,
when about halfway on their journey, the sister suddenly starts falling ill as she is a selkie and cannot

2. live without her selkie coat, which unbeknownst to her and her brother has been thrown into the
ocean by their father. It is common for many films to raise the stakes of films to the point of
potential death of a character or characters if their goal is not completed, often within a time limit.
Shortly after this emerges, her brother suddenly losers her in a holy well while he sails into a cave to
realise why his sister is falling ill, raising his urgency. When there is a journey to be made, it is
common for the main protagonist(s) to suddenly understand the urgency of what they are doing.
Upon reaching home, they are quickly rowed back, continuing the misinterpretation, and the
brother, upon realising the coat is in the water, quickly overcomes his fear of water in a last ditch bid
to save his sister. It is especially common for this to occur in animated films, as it makes a character
appealing in terms of motivation for overcoming phobias. There are also instances of foreshadowing;
near the start of the film, the ferryman calls Granny an “auld witch”, foreshadowing the presence of
Macha the owl witch. This also links little details that link Granny and Macha, such as the same voice
actor, same personalities and even the same make of radio in their homes.
This film also features several character arcs. The most prominent comes from Ben, one of the lead
characters. At the start of the film, he acts antagonistic to his younger sister Saoirse, likely because
he thinks his mother died giving birth. He also has a fear of water, constantly wearing a life-jacket
even while on land, likely spurred on from his mother’s death. However, towards the end of the film,
he starts acting sympathetic towards his sister, influenced by his realisation that his sister needs to
be at their destination before dawn or else she would die. After the climax, he becomes friends with
Saoirse. He also overcomes his fear of water, as he needed to in order to save his sister in time for
dawn. The characters of Conor the father and Granny are very similar, as they both start off unaware
of real circumstances automatically thinking that their actions are the right actions, but come to
realise the error of their ways when they both realise what is actually happening.
Song of the Sea is clearly an example of revisionist, as it uses means that are not common within the
mainstream at the time of its release. It also uses its production techniques to create a unique
aesthetic that helps it stand out against other films.
This film features very few, if any, big names and relies heavily on a medium that has a solid
following, young and old. However, there are a few notable names involved. The father, Conor, is
voiced by Brendan Gleeson, a highly notable actor whose roles include supporting roles in such
blockbusters such as “Braveheart”, “Mission: Impossible 2”, and the “Harry Potter” franchise.
Another notable name was Lisa Hannigan, an Irish folk singer, whose past two albums topped the
Irish Album Charts. She also has past voice acting experience, staring in the popular Cartoon
Network show “Steven Universe”. There is also Pat Shortt, a comedian who was one half of the duo
D’Unbelievables in the 1990s, starred in Father Ted and won an IFTA Best Actor Award for his role in
the 2007 film “Garage”.
Beyond the acting, the score was composed by Bruno Coulais and performed by Kila. Coulais has
been active since the late-1970s writing scores for documentary films and several French films, such
as the critically acclaimed “Happiness Never Comes Alone”. Kila, an Irish folk band, are also notable,
having been active since the late-1980s and making regular appearances at several music festivals
such as Electric Picnic and even Glastonbury. The ending song of the film is performed by Nolwenn
Leroy. Leroy is a French Celtic singer who has had two no.1 singles and consistent top 10 albums in
her native France. She remains popular in the current era, with her some, “Gemme”, becoming a
Top 30 hit in France in 2017.
Understandably, as a non-mainstream, there are some subjects that most mainstream animated
films would be reluctant to discuss. As well as the obvious portrayal of family, there is also an
element of love and loss, as the mother dies shortly after the start of the film, which leads into an
ongoing theme of death and spirituality, which is rare for most modern animated films. This is

3. brought up again in the city, when a group of faeries take Saoirse expecting her to start singing and
send them off to Tir na nOg, which is the equivalent of heaven in Irish mythology, unaware that she
is mute. Saoirse’s muteness leads into a discussion of disability, a topic that, when not discussed
correctly, can be seen as “Oscar-bait” by some people. This film handles the theme effectively and it
even plays in integral part of the story. It also leads to misunderstandings and misinterpretation,
particularly with Granny trying to use herbal tea to try and get Saoirse to speak, believing that her
disabilities are easily cured. This misinterpretation also leads to overprotectiveness, to the point
where the risk of Saoirse not making dawn increase significantly. Another threat to this goal comes
from Macha the owl witch, who thinks that by turning people to stone she helps them overcome
negative emotion, introducing a theme of the pursuit of pure happiness. It is even to the point
where she has partially turned herself to stone, so the film clearly states that searching for pure
happiness can be self-destructive.
1. Anon. (2014). Song of the Sea (2014 film). Available:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_of_the_Sea_(2014_film). Last accessed 7th Jan 2018.
2. Anon. Home Page. Available: http://www.melusineproductions.com/. Last accessed 6th Jan
2018.
3. Anon. (2015). Versus Production. Available: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versus_Production.
Last accessed 6th Jan 2018.
4. Anon. (2005). Brendan Gleeson. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_Gleeson.
Last accessed 7th Jan 2018.
5. Anon. (2006). Lisa Hannigan. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Hannigan. Last
accessed 7th Jan 2018.
6. Anon. (2010). Pat Shortt. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Shortt. Last accessed
7th Jan 2018.
7. Anon. (2005). Bruno Coulais. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Coulais. Last
accessed 7th Jan 2018.
8. Anon. (2005). Kila. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%ADla. Last accessed 7th
Jan 2018.
9. Anon. (2005). Nolwenn Leroy. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolwenn_Leroy. Last
accessed 7th Jan 2018.