In this short film, Inuk artist Asinnajaq plunges us into a sublime imaginary universe—14 minutes of luminescent, archive-inspired cinema that recast the present, past and future of her people in a radiant new light. Diving into the NFB’s vast archive, she parses the complicated cinematic representation of the Inuit, harvesting fleeting truths and fortuitous accidents from a range of sources—newsreels, propaganda, ethnographic docs, and work by Indigenous filmmakers. Embedding historic footage into original animation, she conjures up a vision of hope and beautiful possibility.
A visually poetic short film connecting Inuit past and present that could inspire creative thinking towards a beautiful future. What sort of emotions are evoked with the melding of the archival realist imagery and the liquid abstract art imagery? How can this film be used as a vision of hope for Inuit and Canadian society as a whole? Name and learn about the many entry points for further learning that this film reveals (e.g., dog sled teams, food rations, harvesting of traditional food, and northern lights stories). Choose a scene and delve deeper into the Inuit context of the present and past. Why is it imperative to create visions and actions that inspire hope?