Inuit Crafts (10)

At the Spring Sea Ice Camp: Part 1
Quentin Brown 1967 26 min
Filmed over a period of three years, from summer 1963 to the late winter of 1965, and released in 1967, the Netsilik series is about the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living in the area around Kugaaruk.

Families travel across the sea ice. Before night falls, they build igloos. A boy practices throwing his spear at a figure he has made in the snow. A woman crimps the sole of a sealskin boot she is making.

Please note that this is an archival film that makes use of the word “Eskimo,” an outdated and offensive term. While the origin of the word is a matter of some contention, it is no longer used in Canada. The term was formally rejected by the Inuit Circumpolar Council in 1980 and has subsequently not been in use at the NFB for decades. This film is therefore a time-capsule of a bygone era, presented in its original version. The NFB apologizes for the offence caused.
At the Winter Sea Ice Camp: Part 1
Quentin Brown 1967 35 min
Filmed over a period of three years, from summer 1963 to the late winter of 1965, and released in 1967, the Netsilik series is about the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living in the area around Kuugaruk.

In this episode, it is now late winter and the families stop their trek and make camp. The men cut blocks for an igloo while the women shovel the site. During the day, the men sit patiently on the ice, waiting for seals.
At the Winter Sea Ice Camp: Part 2
Quentin Brown 1967 36 min
Filmed over a period of three years, from summer 1963 to the late winter of 1965, and released in 1967, the Netsilik series is about the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living in the area around Kuugaruk.

In this episode, women watch over the children as they play, make clothes, and repair the igloos. When the men return with their catch, everyone goes inside where work, story-telling and games keep everyone busy.
Building a Kayak: Part 1
Quentin Brown 1967 32 min
Filmed over a period of three years, from summer 1963 to the late winter of 1965, and released in 1967, the Netsilik series is about the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living in the area around Kugaaruk.

In this episode, the run-off is in full flow and the entire family lends a had in building a new kayak.
Building a Kayak: Part 2
Quentin Brown 1967 32 min
Filmed over a period of three years, from summer 1963 to the late winter of 1965, and released in 1967, the Netsilik series is about the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living in the area around Kugaaruk.

In this episode, work on the kayak continues. More skins are soaked; ribs are split and shaped. Finally, the kayak is ready and the men take it out on the water for a test.
Eskimo Arts and Crafts
Laura Boulton 1943 18 min
A doc about the Inuit art of Baffin Island. The film illustrates traditional leatherwork and carving, and the construction of a kayak.
How to Build an Igloo (Inuktitut version)
2011 10 min
This classic short film shows how to make an igloo using only snow and a knife. Two Inuit men in Canada’s Far North choose the site, cut and place snow blocks and create an entrance--a shelter completed in one-and-a-half hours. The commentary explains that the interior warmth and the wind outside cement the snow blocks firmly together. As the short winter day darkens, the two builders move their caribou sleeping robes and extra skins indoors, confident of spending a snug night in the midst of the Arctic cold!
How to Build an Igloo
Douglas Wilkinson 1949 10 min
This classic short film shows how to make an igloo using only snow and a knife. Two Inuit men in Canada’s Far North choose the site, cut and place snow blocks and create an entrance--a shelter completed in one-and-a-half hours. The commentary explains that the interior warmth and the wind outside cement the snow blocks firmly together. As the short winter day darkens, the two builders move their caribou sleeping robes and extra skins indoors, confident of spending a snug night in the midst of the Arctic cold!
Kamik
Elise Swerhone 1989 14 min
This short documentary is a portrait of Ulayok Kaviok, one of the last of a generation of Inuit, born and bred on the land. Ulayok and her family, like many Inuit today, strive to balance 2 very different worlds. Her skills in making the sealskin boots called kamik may soon be lost in the cultural transformation overtaking her community. Kamik offers a glimpse of those universes and the thread one woman weaves between them.
InukShop
Jobie Weetaluktuk 2009 2 min
In this short film, filmmaker Jobie Weetaluktuk mixes archival and new footage to make a statement about the appropriation of Inuit culture throughout history.

Inuit Crafts (10)

Explore