Logline & Synopsis
Trapped by tragic circumstances in rural Ireland, a teenage girl and a mysterious old storyteller are freed by an ancient legend and a timeless song.
Ireland, 1986. On the eve of the return of a centuries-old comet, a lonely teenager named Aoibh raises her young brother Tadhg after their mother's death. Aoibh finds solace with her Grandmother in an isolated nursing home by a great lake. She’s a sagacious old storyteller whose fairy tales have more truth in them than they first appear to. Aoibh is always humming a song as she goes about her day, and this ancient refrain reminds her Grandmother of one particular tale that seems to give her new life: the story of the three cursed faerie children of The Otherworld…
Mystical forces converge with a coming-of-age story that celebrates the power of storytelling through the plight of two very different women struggling to overcome grief.
Logline & Synopsis
Trapped by tragic circumstances in rural Ireland, a teenage girl and a mysterious old storyteller are freed by an ancient legend and a timeless song.
Ireland, 1986. On the eve of the return of a centuries-old comet, a lonely teenager named Aoibh raises her young brother Tadhg after their mother's death. Aoibh finds solace with her Grandmother in an isolated nursing home by a great lake. She’s a sagacious old storyteller whose fairy tales have more truth in them than they first appear to. Aoibh is always humming a song as she goes about her day, and this ancient refrain reminds her Grandmother of one particular tale that seems to give her new life: the story of the three cursed faerie children of The Otherworld…
Mystical forces converge with a coming-of-age story that celebrates the power of storytelling through the plight of two very different women struggling to overcome grief.
About the Project
Short fantasy drama | 24 mins | 2023
TETHERED is an Irish fantasy short that intertwines live-action, animation, and modern dance to explore themes of folklore and family.
The script for TETHERED - co-written by Stephen T Lally and Alessia Galatini - was a finalist in the 2018 Film In Cork scheme, and initial funding was raised through a successful Seed & Spark crowdfunding campaign. The first phase of filming took place in London (a dance sequence starring Chrissy Brooke and choreographed by James Berkery). The animated sequence was completed remotely during COVID by artist and animator Michael Lomon, formerly of Cartoon Saloon. With support from the late Tova Borgnine, production resumed in summer 2022 with a location shoot in Kerry and Dublin, starring Úna Ní Bhriain and Maura Logue.
TETHERED premiered at Kerry International Film Festival in October 2023, followed by a host of screenings at BIFA, BAFTA, and IFTA-qualifying festivals worldwide. The film has won seven international awards to date.
SELECT SCREENINGS
Kerry International Film Festival | IndieCork | Waterford International | Silk Road | Beeston Film Festival | Ennis International Fantastic FilmFest | Ignite Film Festival | Disappear Here Film Festival | DC Shorts International | Underground Cinema | Lake County Film Festival | Dublin International Short Film & Music Festival | Accra Indie Filmfest | Montelupo Fiorentino | Jim Thorpe Independent | Arizona International | London Director Awards | Dam Short Film Festival | Waterford International Film Festival (WIFF)
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
Jury's Special Recognition Award (Ennis International Fantastic FilmFest) | Best Actress (Dublin International Short Film & Music Festival) | Best Music/Score (Dublin International Short Film & Music Festival) | Best Actress (Accra Indie Filmfest) | Best Fantasy Short (Montelupo Fiorentino) | Best Production Design (Ignite Film Festival) | Best Sci-Fi Film (Dam Short Film Festival)
The Creative
“Two people close to me died, and over time, TETHERED became my way of articulating loss. I poured my own grief into this project, and while it’s a personal film, I truly hope it’s a universal story of hope.
Ireland has an incomparable storytelling tradition, but somehow we rarely see it onscreen in fantasy form. TETHERED is my own, small correction to that. Within TETHERED, four strands of storytelling intersect: live-action drama sequences shot across Ireland, a haunting song at the heart of the film (written by David Nicholas and Brit award-nominated artist Beth Rowley), a vivid animated segment, and a climactic Dream Ballet sequence.
TETHERED is my homage to 1980s fantasy cinema - Jim Henson is my idol - but it's also an ode to Irish folklore and the art of storytelling. And although inspired by the rich pantheon of Celtic mythology, TETHERED creates an original fairy tale of its own: a powerful fable about magic, memories, and the moon. I first started sketching the mythical world of TETHERED back in 2018, and to finally put it onscreen has been the greatest joy of my creative life so far.”
For more information or to request a screener: stephen@stephentlally.com