Song of the Sea (Irish: Amhrán na Mara) is a 2014 animated fantasy film directed and co-produced by Tomm Moore, co-produced by Ross Murray, Paul Young, Stephen Roelants, Serge and Marc Ume, Isabelle Truc, Clement Calvet, Jeremie Fajner, Frederik Villumsen, and Claus Toksvig Kjaer, and written by Will Collins based on Moore's original story.
[7] It is also the only one to be set in relatively contemporary times, specifically the 1980s, as the other aforementioned films take place during the early Middle Ages and the 17th century respectively.
Song of the Sea follows the story of a 10-year-old Irish boy named Ben (David Rawle) who discovers that his mute sister Saoirse - whom he blames for the apparent death of his mother - is a selkie, who has to free faerie creatures from the Celtic goddess Macha.
After bearing a human son named Ben, the couple expect a second child, but Bronagh disappears after giving birth to their daughter Saoirse, apparently dying in childbirth.
Six years later, Conor dotes on the mute Saoirse, while Ben is resentful of her, as he blames her for his mother's disappearance; his sole companion is the family's Old English Sheepdog, Cú.
Saoirse again plays Ben's seashell and is abducted by a trio of daoine sí, taking her to their lair underneath a bushy roundabout.
However, their jubilation draws the attention of owls belonging to a witch named Macha, who had turned the other daoine sí to stone by sucking their feelings out of them.
Through strands of the sage's beard hair, Ben sees the story of the giant Mac Lir, who cried out in a terrible fit of grief and threatened to flood the world.
Ben, in his encounter with Macha, learns that the grief-stricken witch seeks to save others from suffering and sadness by turning them to stone just as she had to Mac Lir.
Apologizing for being a bad brother, Ben encourages Saoirse to play the seashell, which breaks the jars and returns Macha's feelings to her, restoring her kindness.
Macha helps Ben, Saoirse and Cú return to the lighthouse, riding the wind, with the aid of two spectral hounds of the air.
[16] The world premiere of Song of the Sea took place as the TIFF Kids children’s event of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival celebration on 6 September 2014.
The site's critics' consensus reads: "Song of the Sea boasts narrative depth commensurate with its visual beauty, adding up to an animated saga overflowing with family-friendly riches.
[25] Sara Stewart from the New York Post said "If you want some real cinematic magic this holiday season, don’t miss this enchanting Irish film about a pair of siblings and a piece of Celtic folklore that turns out to be true".