This is the most emotionally satisfying film John Sayles has ever made, which tops a long and excellent list. Working with a virtually unknown Irish cast, Sayles brings to life a story that wanders on the borderland between mystical and blue-collar realism, without becoming cloying or simplistic. The only film to which i think Roan Inish can be effectively compared is Whale Rider, but with no insult intended to Whale Rider, to me Roan Inish is a richer and more complex film. <br /><br />The basic story concerns the relationship between humans and non-humans and how long- standing relationships between species can be torn apart by world events; in this case the Second World War, which forces a community of Irish fisherfolk to relocate to the mainland. A young girl, whose family has been damaged through these actions and other forces, is sent to live with her grandparents on the coast, at which point her nonhuman relatives contrive to bring her and her family back to the home they once shared with other life forms.<br /><br />The little girl, Fiona, who is the primary human character, played by Jenny Courtney, is wonderfully written and played. She is not your standard cutie-pie, but a budding force of nature. It is obvious why of all the members of her family, the nonhumans single her out for their attention. The story is drawn from the traditional Irish and Scots stories of relationships between humans and seals, or selchies, but transposes this into a more modern setting, without losing any of the mystery or wonder.<br /><br />One of the strongest recommendations I can give this film is that has become one of the most popular and respected films at Haskell Indian Nations University here in Kansas. Indigenous Americans seem to identify with the experience of the Irish, which shows them that modern European culture has been destructive to Indigenous peoples in Europe, and allows them to realize that there have been and continue to be, Indigenous people with distinct cultures in Europe as well as the Americas. <br /><br />I was once in a video store, when a person I knew slightly asked me if I could recommend a film that would appeal both to him and his children. Without hesitation I went over and picked up the store's copy of Roan Inish, and told him, "Not only will you enjoy this, but it will give you and your kids a lot to think and talk about." I make the same recommendation to anyone who reads this.