Many of the backgrounds are inspired by landscapes in Kerry County, Ireland, and the workhouse at the beginning is a reference to Irish workhouses. The screecher in the cave is the reference to the Irish myth of the banshee, a female spirit in Irish folklore seen as a very bad omen, and who screams or wails a lot.
This short feature was created by the Cartoon Saloon studios, based in Kilkenny, Ireland. They're mostly known for The Breadwinner (2017) and Wolfwalkers (2020).