Roan Inish

This weekend I was utterly charmed by an old movie that weaved a fine tale like the rope of an Irish fishing net. I was carried away to a wind-swept isle to discover The Secret of Roan Inish where man and seal live in magical harmony. The tale is of a 10-year old girl Fiona who discovers her brother, long since "lost" at sea near their Roan Inish home and learns the fable (or truth) of her Selkie ancestry. From a storytelling perspective, the Selkie family tale unfolds to her as it does for us, and we are tangled in the net of what is true and what is tale and that there's probably no difference between the two anyhow. From a visual perspective, the land is a rough, simple, stony lusciousness as only Ireland can provide. You expect something magical to happen because it looks so enchanting. Fiona's blond wavy locks flow in the breeze, her simple knitted sweaters with colorful mismatching buttons and flower print dresses are very real. Her grandfather's pipe warms the air with tobacco scent. Her grandmother's Irish soda bread warms the belly. And the wise seals of the island warm the soul. It's a true comfort movie for our cold, cynical world. - l.o.d.