Syracuse, a simple and gruff fisherman trawling his ordinary route off the coast of southern Ireland, one day pulls in the biggest catch of his life—a beautiful young woman. Appearing dead at first, the beauty inexplicably comes to life before his eyes, setting off a miraculous chain of events loaded with romance and bewilderment. Entirely thanks to the encouragement of his sickly but precocious young daughter, Annie, he slowly comes to believe in the mystery surrounding his new catch (aptly named after the water nymph of German folklore, Ondine) while falling head over heels for the siren. Not too soon after does reality butt its ugly head into their newfound fairy tale life, threatening the future of all three….

Played with remarkable conviction by Colin Farrell, Syracuse and his mermaid love come to life in a web of fantasy that only Neil Jordan and the distinctive cinematography of Christopher Doyle can deliver. Fusing whimsy with the harsh realities of a broken, working-class family in a small Irish fishing village, Ondine is an ethereal treat that transports you across the ocean and into another world.

Neil Jordan and Neil Jordan