Although we don't normally associate Ireland and science fiction, there's been a recent surge in the genre in more recent years.
Ruairi Robinson's Last Days on Mars and the recently-acquired The Leviathan have showcased that Irish filmmakers are capable of making high-quality science fiction with a fraction of the budget of mainstream blockbusters.
Conor Maloney's proof-of-concept trailer for Ayame is another great example, showcasing an incredible eye for talent and design and a fascinating story to boot.
As Conor explains it, his "initial idea was far too big to take on so we decided to concentrate on just the prologue, to act as an introduction to the world of Ayamé."
"Hopefully the future for Ayamé is to be able to elaborate more on the world and take it from being the small segment that it is to hopefully a feature film."
If this trailer is anything to go by, there's something really special here. Take a look and judge for yourself. And yes, that IS John Hurt doing the voice-over.
