A Swallow’s Tale / Short Film Commission / Ireland / 2021

Synopsis:

‘A Swallow’s Tale’ is a short film specially commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs for Africa Day 2021 celebrating the shared legacy of storytelling between Africa and Ireland.

The film A Swallow’s Tale captures the spirit and shared connection between Ireland and Africa. With strong traditions of storytelling, music, dance and tales of mythological deities and fantastical creatures, there is a vibrancy and expressiveness to both cultures that is unparallelled. Just as the swallows go and come and come and go from Africa to Ireland bringing birdsong and magic, this film illustrates that when we invite the rhythm of our Atlantean neighbours into our hearts, we have the opportunity to create new stories and dance to new songs.

The film features an Irish seanchaí Aindrias De Staic and a Nigerian griot Zeenie Summers as they both tell the interlocking stories of the swallow; showing what can happen when the music and the rhythm takes over.