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.
Directed by John Sayles
sea
island
legend
family history
family relationships
seagull
ireland
storytelling
seal (animal)
seaweed
talking to animals
fishing boat
lost at sea
lost son
selkie
isolated
gaelic music
irish folklore
human becoming an animal
irish sea
animal behaviour
animal human friendship
animals & nature
donegal
grandfather granddaughter relationship
inishtrahull island
gaelic
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.7 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
Mick Lally
Hugh
John Lynch
Tadhg
Dave Duffy
Jim
Declan Hannigan
Oldest brother
Fergal McElherron
Sean Michael
Brendan Conroy
Flynn
Frankie McCafferty
Tim
Susan Lynch
Selkie
Crew
John Sayles
Director
John Sayles
Screenplay
Mason Daring
Original Music Composer
John Sayles
Editor
Haskell Wexler
Director of Photography
Sarah Green
Producer
Maggie Renzi
Producer
John Sloss
Executive Producer
Peter Newman
Executive Producer
John Hubbard
Casting
Ros Hubbard
Casting
Consolata Boyle
Costume Design
Popular Reviews
27 reviews
Ted Swanson
3.7★ · 07/16/25
Ts was boring 😴
Ts was boring 😴
kimmyPRO
the way they did allathat without a youtube tutorial or anything baffles me
the way they did allathat without a youtube tutorial or anything baffles me
Andrea Faith
6.5★ · 10/24/24
how did they make those seals do that omooooo
how did they make those seals do that omooooo
Fiona s
9.4★ · 08/04/24
my namesake
my namesake
josie
6.0★ · 03/17/24
God bless the beautiful and proud nation of ireland
God bless the beautiful and proud nation of ireland