Heirs to the Sea
Fantasy short film
About three mermaids banished from the sea, trying to bargain with the Moon Queen to get back their tails, so they can return home.
Created in 2018 June to September.
Released November 16th 2018. The first video instalment in the series "The Soul Chronicles".
Mermaids:
Ariellah Engel Salimanov
Amanda Alicija/ Modelwork by A.
Nadja Stephanie Jensen
Moon Queen:
Kitty S Mortensen/ Kitty Mortensen
Book Illustrator/All around assistant:
Tenna Vinther Olesen
Concept/Costume Design/MUA/Photography/Editing:
Sabrina Nielsen/ Sabrina Nielsen Photography
Aria, the mermaid
Heir to the Sea and possesser of the Heart of the Sea
A young woman who stumbles across an old book washed ashore. She learns the the tale of the mythical mermaids and this sets in motion a transformation within her. She bumps into a stranger on her way home and feels an odd but familiar connection. The same night, Aria has a feverish dream that answers a call she has always felt within herself. The following morning, her transformation rollercoasters and she sets out on a journey that will change her life for good.
She will find her kind, but lose her heart.
Amia, the mermaid
Heir to the Sea and possesser of the Breath of the Sea
A young ballerina bumps into a stranger on her way home from practice one evening. She feels an odd connection, but brushes it off. The next time we see Amia, her transformation, like Aria's, has begun and she joins Aria in a quest to find the golden mermaid from the fever dream.
Amanda, who portrays Aria, is a dancer in real life and she delivers a beautiful improvised ballet sequence in the night scene with the Queen of the Moon. Lightly she glides across the ground, as she becomes the Breath of the Sea.
Naia, the mermaid
Heir to the Sea and possesser of the Soul of the Sea
Naia is a mythical mermaid from the early days of the Otherworld. Before appearing in "Heirs to the Sea", her tale unfolded in the photo series preluding the film. Once banished from the sea, she has made it her mission to find a way back. In an attempt to do such, she attempts to make a bargain with the Queen of the Moon. Unsuccesful, she disappears for many, many years. One day she returns, having regained her power and found that she possesses the Soul of the Sea, an "artefact" that the Queen requested as an offering in return for Naia's mermaid tail.
In “Heirs to the Sea”, Naia, joined by her kind, tries once again to bargain with the Queen of the Moon.
The Queen of the Moon
A character pack between good and evil, she has her own sense of right and wrong
She views the worlds from afar, wanting desperately to be part of either one. Given the chance, she'll pull the strings to create her will. In "Heirs to the Sea", she refuses to help the mermaids unless a trade is made; In exchange for their mermaid tails, the Queen of the Moon demands them to bring her the Soul, the Heart and the Breath of the Sea. So she can tie herself to it and be part of the Otherworld as well as the human.
This character was added to the film quite late on, and that's why her costume was created by taking three pieces from three other previous costumes by Sabrina. The silver silk dress is from Thistleheart, the flower robe is from the Elven Queen and the headpiece is from "celestial" themed shoot shot in 2018.
The Costumes
Layers of tulle, organza and silk, embellished with seashells, sequins, lace, flowers and crystals - the costumes for this production were created to be opulent and evoke an element of an almost childlike imagination of distant worlds of magic and wonder.
Each mermaid in the film had mermaid tail, top and crown combo. They also had a water nymph styled dress each for their meeting the Queen of the Moon.
The blue nymph dress for Amia was specifically designed to look like water flying through the air as she dances for the Queen.
The mermaid, Naia, and the Queen both had costumes with long robes to symbolize their status as mythic nobles from a lost time.