THE SEA INSIDE US
The Sea Inside Us , 2025, Ireland, 23min 27sec
Directed and Produced by Ruth E Lyons and Colm Hogan.
Written by Ruth E Lyons. DOP Colm Hogan
What is food without salt? Food without flavour? Life without emotion?
There is the remains of an ancient ocean under the countries of northern Europe, a bed of salt that extends from Ireland to Russia. For 10 years Lyons has been tracing this seam making carvings from rock salt of various colours. The film follows the artist into mines 300 metres underground, and across the snow- capped peaks of vast mountain ranges. Against these epic backdrops salt becomes a prism through which she formulates questions that fathom the unknowable while reaching for the eternal. The film is shot in sites of salt production in Northern Ireland, Switzerland and Sicily and at the artist’s coastal home in the west of Ireland.
The Sea Inside Us is a debut film by artist Ruth E Lyons made in collaboration with cinematographer Colm Hogan. Lyons and Hogan began working on The Sea Inside Us in early 2022.
Editor David Qualter. Sound Design Bob Brennan. Underwater footage by Kevin L Smith. Additional camera by Roman Bugovskiy and David Qualter. Original cello music composed and performed by Julia Kent.
‘Oíche réaltach’ and ‘Feilimí Cam’ composed for the film by Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhríde and performed by Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhríde and Aodhán Gavigan on vocals and Daniel Boswell on double bass. Trailer edited by Nathan Coetzee. Titles by Alex Synge.
The Sea Inside Us was funded by salt producers Irish Salt Mining, Salines Suisses and Sosalt in addition to the Arts Council Visual Arts Project Award and Kunstverein Aughrim.
The project has been kindly supported throughout by EUsalt whom Ruth has been working with since 2014.
Special thanks to AEMI for their assistance in the promoting and dissemination of the film.
Looking forward to announcing upcoming screenings here.
A video of a special preview screening of The Sea Inside Us at Ruth’s home studio May 2025. The event was curated and produced by Kunstverein Aughrim. Video by Barry Lynch Infocus Media. Music composed and performed by Doimnic MacGiolla Bhríde with Aodhán Gavin and Daniel Bodwell (Double Bass).