Sunday Movie FREE ON CINEGEEK.DE John Sayles - The Secret Of Roan Inish 

Many years ago, an ancestor of Fiona saw a creature on the coast. She was both a woman and a seal. We call them mermaids, in Ireland they're called selkies. Fiona's ancestor captured her and married her. Both had children and lived happily together - and yet she seemed to have a longing for the sea. One day she found her second skin, the vision dog's skin, in the attic. Where her husband kept her hidden. Finally it was complete again, went back into the sea and was not seen again. Fiona (Jeni Courtney), who is only thirteen years old, has been told this story not as a fairy tale, but as a family history. Fiona has always believed all this, because until today there are dark-haired children in her family who look longingly at the sea. It's 1946. Fiona's mother passed away; her father spends his life in the pub. That's why Fiona lives with her grandparents, on the Irish coast, on the island of Roan Inish. There Fiona hears the story of her brother Jamie, whose cradle was carried away by the waves of the sea. She also learns the translation of Roan Inish, which means as much as the island of the Selkies. The great secret of John Sayle's almost unknown masterpiece is that he tells the story of Fiona with great seriousness. This isn't just a family movie! Not fantasy, not "cute"! The Secret of Roan Inish is about Fiona learning the history of her family and exploring the island. If you don't believe in Selkies, you should at least open yourself to the idea of their existence! Of course Selkies exist! Just like you and me. Then - one day - Fiona discovers footprints in the sand. She sees a child - it's her brother Jamie! She calls him, but he wants to return to his cradle, which is led through the sea by seals. Of course it is difficult to tell the adults about their discovery... I think the legend of The Secret of Roan Inish stems from the fact that these people live in the country, but FROM the sea. They belong to the land as well as to the sea. To improve myself: Surely The Secret of Roan Inish is also suitable for children. But not for those who expect cute seals. It's a movie for kids like Fiona.