TETHERED
SYNOPSIS:
Ireland, 1986. On the eve of the passage of a centuries-old comet, an ethereal young woman called Aoibh is raising her brother Tadhg after their mother died some years before.
Aoibh visits a rural nursing home that’s perched on the edge of a lake, and bonds with her Grandmother there.
She is a sagacious old woman whose fairy tales have more truth in them than they first appear to.
Aoibh is always humming a song as she goes about the nursing home, and this ancient refrain reminds her Grandmother of one particular fairy tale that seems to give her new life…
Mystical forces converge with a coming-of-age tale that celebrates the inescapable power of storytelling - through the plight of two very different women struggling to overcome grief.
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
‘TETHERED’ is a heart-rending fantasy short film that visualises strands of folklore, family, and friendship by interweaving live-action, animation, and modern dance. It’s an ode to mythology and the very art of storytelling, as well as an homage to 1980s fantasy cinema - but with a female focus.
The original script for ‘TETHERED’ - written by Stephen T Lally and Alessia Galatini - was a finalist in 2018's Film In Cork scheme, and our initial production costs were raised through a highly successful crowdfunding campaign on Seed & Spark.
The first phase of filming for ‘TETHERED’ was undertaken in London before the pandemic took hold - a Dream Ballet starring the fabulous dancers Chrissy Brooke, Alexander Nuttall, and Andre Kamienski, and choreographed by James Berkery. The animated sequence for ‘TETHERED’ was completed remotely during COVID by the incredibly talented artist Michael Lomon. As the pandemic restrictions eased - and with the encouragement and support of the magnificent and dearly missed Tova Borgnine - the plan was set to shoot at the end of summer 2022.
Produced by Cian O’Leary, this final phase of filming for ‘TETHERED’ was shot on location in County Kerry and County Dublin, and stars the incredibly talented Irish actresses Úna Ní Bhriain and Maura Logue. We were thrilled that ‘TETHERED’ had its premiere at the prestigious Kerry International Film Festival in late October 2023. This genuinely meant a lot to us for our premiere screening as so much of our film was shot there. ‘TETHERED’ has only just begun its film festival journey and as of February 2024, it is an Official Selection of the London Director Awards 2024 and the BIFA-qualifying Beeston Film Festival.
Overall, the team behind ‘TETHERED’ includes a broad spectrum of incredibly talented, multi-national Creatives working to make a fantastic film on blood, sweat, and tears.
Our Hair, Make-up, and Prosthetic Artist on the first phase of filming for ‘TETHERED’ was Tabitha Mei-Bo Lei - who created extraordinary bespoke wigs and prosthetic pieces for our dancers in the Dream Ballet sequence that was shot in London in November 2019.
This Dream Ballet sequence was choreographed by the Irish Movement Director James Berkery, and we’re thrilled to say that our Lead Dancer was the inaugural winner of ITV's ‘Dance Dance Dance’, Chrissy Brooke - an incredible dance talent repped by Global Artists. Our Costume Designer for the dance sequence was the award-winning Wendy Olver, who has a wealth of experience across film, TV, opera, and red-carpet premieres. Her clients range from individuals like Elton John, Bob Geldof, and Nicky Haslam, to companies such as Disney, Tiffany & Co, Mulberry, and Agent Provocateur.
‘TETHERED’ tips its hat to visionary fantasy mavericks - Jim Henson and Steven Spielberg – but explores a rich world of Irish storytelling for audiences both young and old.
Inspired by the rich pantheon of Irish mythology, ‘TETHERED’ creates an original fairy tale of its own – a powerful fable about magic, memories, and the moon. Our visuals draw from 1980s fantasy films - but this story treads a bold new path of its own, interweaving our inspirations into something beautiful, evocative, and unique. ‘TETHERED’ explores grief, but also tackles feminist themes often left behind in past genre movies and is a resoundingly female-driven film.
Ireland has an incomparable natural majesty and a tradition of storytelling that runs through the veins of its people. ‘TETHERED’ is a film that evokes Irish culture, but with universal themes. We want to build a global community around this story, and we hope you come on this journey with us…
The promos created for the original Seed & Spark crowdfunding campaign for ‘TETHERED’ are viewable on this page - alongside the teaser feature film poster created for the film itself by Rob Fuller.
For more information on the project - or to get involved in its production and/or funding - please send a message to: stephen@stephentlally.com.
Copyright © 2022 Stephen T Lally & ClawScream