Project Detail

Otherworld

Synopsis

The screenplay for this animated feature film takes as its inspiration a Celtic text called Y Mabinogi ('tales of young men'). The film starts in live action where we meet contemporary Welsh teenagers.

On his eighteenth birthday Lleu's world is shaken by the news that he is adopted. On the same day, his friend Rhiannon thinks that she may be pregnant, and Dan, who lives in his big brother's shadow, is as scatty as ever.

They all put their problems aside for the day when they come together to celebrate Lleu's birthday. Venturing on a boat trip along the Welsh coast they suddenly see a change in the water. They realise that, on May Eve, they have found the golden gateway to the OtherWorld, which can be seen shining deep beneath the waters.

Being an independent and stubborn girl, Rhiannon doesn't think twice before plunging into the sea, and the other two are not far behind. As they swim deeper and deeper and get closer and closer to the golden gateway, they are transformed into animated characters, and transported back many centuries to the Celtic world of the Mabinogi.

But Rhiannon, Manawydan and Lleu Llaw Gyffes have their own Sixth Century problems! Rhiannon is being forced to marry someone she doesn't love, Manawydan is trying to make things right after his brother's malicious and violent scheming, and Lleu is trying to come to terms with his mother's rejection of him.

While trying to overcome these problems, the characters have to deal with the conþict between fate, personal choice and magic. Alongside this we have scenes of vast battles and gritty man-to-man fighting in an action-packed story of ancient Celts in a dangerous and sometimes magical world!

Details

Year: 2003
Type of film: Features
Running time: 104 mins
Format: 35mm, Kodak
Director: Derek Hayes
Producer: Christopher Grace
Executive Producer: Christopher Grace
Editor: William Oswald
Screenwriter: Martin Lamb, Penelope Middelboe
Sound: Peter Jeffreys, Ian Banks
Music: John Cale
Principal cast: Daniel Evans, Jenny Livsey,Matthew Rhys, Ioan Gruffudd, Philip Madoc

Genre

Welsh

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Cartwn Cymru

Ben Jenkins Court, 19a High Street
Llandaf, Cardiff CF5 2DY, Wales
UK

T +44 (0)29 2057 5999

production@cartwn-cymru.com

Sales Company

S4C International

50 Lamborne Crescent
Llanisien, Cardiff CF14 5WJ, Wales
UK

T+44 (0)29 2074 1356

rhianydd.darwin@s4c.co.uk

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

Suggest amendments