The Secret of Kells facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Secret of Kells |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Tomm Moore Nora Twomey |
| Produced by | Paul Young Didier Brunner Vivian Van Fleteren |
| Screenplay by | Fabrice Ziolkowski |
| Story by | Tomm Moore |
| Starring | Evan McGuire Brendan Gleeson Christen Mooney Mick Lally Michael McGrath Liam Hourican Paul Tylak Paul Young |
| Music by | Bruno Coulais Kíla |
| Editing by | Fabienne Alvarez-Giro |
| Studio | Les Armateurs Vivi Film Cartoon Saloon France 2 Cinéma |
| Distributed by | Gébéka Films (France) Kinepolis Film Distribution (Belgium) Buena Vista International (Ireland) |
| Release date(s) | 30 January 2009 (Gérardmer Film Festival) 11 February 2009 (France/Belgium) 3 March 2009 (Ireland) 26 April 2010 (United States) |
| Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | Ireland France Belgium |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8 million |
| Money made | $3.5 million |
The Secret of Kells is an exciting animated fantasy film from 2009. It was made in Ireland, France, and Belgium. The movie tells the story behind the famous Book of Kells. This is a very old and beautiful book from the 800s.
The film was created by Cartoon Saloon. It first showed at a big film festival in Berlin in February 2009. Later, it was released in cinemas in Belgium, France, and Ireland. The Secret of Kells was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It was a big honor, even though it didn't win.
The movie was directed by Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey. It features the voices of Evan McGuire and Brendan Gleeson. This film is the first part of Tomm Moore's "Irish Folklore Trilogy." The other films in the series are Song of the Sea (2014) and Wolfwalkers (2020).
Contents
The Story of the Film
The story takes place in Ireland during the 800s. This was a time when Vikings often attacked. Our main character is a curious and brave boy named Brendan. He lives in the Abbey of Kells. His uncle, Abbot Cellach, is very strict. The Abbot is busy building a huge wall around the Abbey. He wants to protect everyone from Viking raids.
Brendan is learning to be a monk in the monastery's writing room, called a scriptorium. He hears the other monks talk about Brother Aidan. Aidan is a famous artist who created the Book of Iona. Brendan becomes very curious about this artist and his special book. They say the book "turns darkness into light."
One day, Brother Aidan arrives at Kells. He brings his white cat, Pangur Bán, with him. Aidan's own monastery was destroyed by a Viking attack. Brendan secretly listens to Abbot Cellach and Aidan talking. Then, he sneaks into the scriptorium. There, he finds the amazing, unfinished book. Pangur Bán is guarding it. Aidan soon arrives and tells Brendan all about the book.
Aidan sees that Brendan would be a good helper. He sends Brendan and Pangur Bán into the nearby forest. They need to find special gall nuts to make ink. In the forest, a group of hungry wolves corners Brendan. But a magical forest fairy named Aisling saves him. At first, Aisling is unsure about Brendan. But she accepts him when he explains he wants to help create the book.
Brendan and Aisling have a scary meeting with Crom Cruach. This is a powerful, dark god of death and destruction. Aisling is very afraid of Crom Cruach. After this, Brendan and Aisling return to the edge of the forest. Aisling tells Brendan he can come back to the forest anytime.
Back at the monastery, Abbot Cellach is angry with Brendan. He forbids Brendan from leaving the Abbey again. But Brendan keeps working with Aidan in secret. He learns that the book needs a special magnifying lens. This lens is called the Eye of Colm Cille. It was taken by Crom Cruach. Brendan tries to go to Crom's cave to get another Eye. But Abbot Cellach finds out and locks Brendan in his room.
Pangur Bán and Aisling help Brendan escape. He runs deep into the forest. Aisling is shocked and begs him not to face the dark god. She warns him that Crom Cruach killed her mother and her people. But Brendan says the book can't be finished without the Eye. He convinces Aisling to help him enter Crom's cave. They barely escape with their lives. Brendan fights Crom and takes the Eye. This blinds Crom, and the god destroys itself. When Brendan returns to the cave entrance, the forest is covered in beautiful white flowers.
Brendan goes back to the Abbey. He continues to help Aidan in secret. The other monks are excited about their work. But then, a messenger warns Abbot Cellach that the Vikings are coming. In anger, Cellach locks Brendan and Aidan in the scriptorium. He even rips out a page Brendan had drawn. The Vikings attack Kells and break through the gate. Abbot Cellach is horrified. He gets hurt as the Vikings swarm the Abbey.
Brendan and Aidan are still locked in the burning scriptorium. They escape using green smoke from the special ink. This confuses the Viking raiders. The wooden stairs to the Abbey's main tower collapse. The village and Abbey below catch fire.
Brendan and Aidan can't help Cellach. They escape into the forest with Pangur Bán. Vikings in the forest find them. They search for treasure and scatter the book's pages. But Aisling's wolves arrive. They scare away or kill the Vikings. Brendan finds the last page of the book. For a moment, he sees a white wolf. It might be Aisling.
Kells is now burned and ruined. Few people survived, and Cellach is badly hurt. Brendan and Aidan travel across Ireland. After many years, they finally finish the book. Aidan then gives the book to Brendan and passes away. Now an adult, Brendan returns to Kells with Pangur Bán. Aisling, in her white wolf form, guides him. Brendan reunites with his uncle Cellach, who is now old and feels guilty. Brendan shows him the completed Book of Kells. The movie ends by showing some of the amazing, colorful pages from the finished book.
Meet the Characters
- Evan McGuire as Brendan: A smart, creative, and curious 12-year-old boy. He lives a very protected life in the Abbey.
- Brendan Gleeson as Abbot Cellach: Brendan's strict uncle. He used to be an artist himself. Now, he's focused on building a huge wall to protect the Abbey from Vikings.
- Christen Mooney as Aisling: A magical forest fairy. She is part of the Tuatha Dé Danann, an ancient group of magical beings. She lives in the woods outside Kells.
- Mick Lally as Brother Aidan: A master artist who creates beautiful books. He is very wise.
- Michael McGrath as Adult Brendan: The voice of Brendan when he is older.
- Liam Hourican as Brothers Tang and Leonardo: Two artists who help with the book. Tang is from Asia, and Leonardo is from Italy.
- Paul Tylak as Brother Assoua: An artist from Africa.
- Paul Young as Brother Square: An artist from England.
What Inspired the Film
The Secret of Kells is based on the true story of the Book of Kells. This is a real, very old book of the Gospels written in Latin. It is kept in Dublin, Ireland. The film also uses ideas from Celtic mythology. For example, it includes Crom Cruach, an old Irish god. The character Aisling is named after a type of Irish poem where a poet sees a magical vision.
The creators of the film were inspired by many different art styles. They looked at old Celtic and medieval art. They wanted the film to look "flat, with false perspective and lots of colour." They even planned for the animation to look like stained glass. This gives the movie its unique and beautiful visual style.
Awards and Nominations
The Secret of Kells won many awards and was nominated for several others!
- Wins
- 2008: Directors Finders Award in Ireland
- 2009: Audience Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival
- 2009: Audience Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival
- 2009: Roy E. Disney Award at Seattle's 2D Or Not 2D Film Festival
- 2009: Grand Prize at the Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival
- 2009: Audience Award at the 9th Kecskemét Animation Film Festival
- 2009: Kecskemét City Prize at the 6th Festival of European Animated Feature Films and TV Specials
- 2010: European Animated Feature Award at the British Animation Awards
- Nominations
- 2009: Grand Prix Award for Best Film in the Annecy International Animated Film Festival
- 2009: Best Animated Film at the 22nd European Film Awards
- 2009: Best Animated Feature at the 37th Annie Awards
- 2010: Best Film at the 7th Irish Film and Television Awards
- 2010: Best Animated Feature at the 82nd Academy Awards
See also
In Spanish: El secreto del libro de Kells para niños
