The Secret of Roan Inish

"Between land and sea there is a place where myths are real."

1994 1h 43m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

🔥

95%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

7.4

IMDB

★6.7TMDB · 103🍅95%Rotten Tomatoes●80Metacritic★7.4IMDB · 10,343

AdventureFantasyFamilyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Ten-year-old Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents in a small fishing village in Donegal, Ireland. She soon learns the local legend that an ancestor of hers married a Selkie – a seal who can turn into a human. Years earlier, her baby brother was washed out to sea and never seen again, so when Fiona spies a naked little boy on the abandoned Isle of Roan Inish, she is compelled to investigate.

“Between land and sea there is a place where myths are real.”

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Cast

Jeni Courtney
Fiona
Eileen Colgan
Tess
Mick Lally
Hugh
John Lynch
Tadhg
Pat Slowey
Priest
Dave Duffy
Jim
Declan Hannigan
Oldest brother
Richard Sheridan
Eamon

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Sayles
Writers: John Sayles
Languages: English, Irish
Countries: Ireland, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

32 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Irish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Ireland, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Sayles, shot by Haskell Wexler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mason Daring. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John Sayles shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jeni Courtney and Eileen Colgan and Mick Lally carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Between land and sea there is a place where myths are real.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Sayles directs. Haskell Wexler behind the camera. Mason Daring scores. John Sayles cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Ireland, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Irish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

132 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Irish.
3International production across 2 countries: Ireland, United States of America.
4Directed by John Sayles, shot by Haskell Wexler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Mason Daring. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor John Sayles shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jeni Courtney and Eileen Colgan and Mick Lally carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Between land and sea there is a place where myths are real.".
9IMDB entry: tt0111112 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 27 themes, including "sea", "island", "legend", "family history".