Although it was denied Oscar-night glory by Big Hero 6, Gaelic animation Song Of The Sea is far too charming to begrudge Baymax and co their moment of glory. The second hand-drawn animation from Irishman Tomm Moore, its siren song will finally be heard on these shores in July. Here’s a new poster and a UK trailer to help spread the word.
A seaside-set yarn about a silent young girl who’s part human and part seal – a mythological Selkie – and her older brother, Song Of The Sea is a folklore-infused adventure featuring witches, killer owls, a grieving lighthouse man voiced by Brendan Gleeson and a whole mess of mystical spirits. It’s very much in the spirit of Studio Ghibli’s output, combining coming-of-age and visual playfulness, although The Secret Of Kells man again brings his own Celtic stamp to things. The story was conjured up by director Moore and magicked into a screenplay by Will Collins. "The original fantasy that Tomm had," said Collins, "was a story about a family who lived out by the sea and he wanted to tackle the issue of the way our mythology and our culture was slowly eroding, but also to pursue some environmental themes as well. For me, the first thing I thought about was how we could make this issue a family story, and essentially a relatable story with an emotional take to it. So I really wanted to focus on developing the family and seeing what was the problem in their world, trying to find a way of fixing that."
Song Of The Sea opens in the UK on July 10.