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Traditional way of life (55)

  • At the Spring Sea Ice Camp: Part 1
    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    Please note that this is an archival film that makes use of the word “Eskimo,” an outdated and offensive term.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 Caribou Crossing Place: Part 2
    At the Caribou Crossing Place: Part 2
    Quentin Brown 1967 29 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, two men join the camp. The men build a row of inuksuit to deflect the oncoming caribou into the water, where they are harvested and floated ashore. A great feast follows.

  • Amarok's Song - The Journey to Nunavut
    Amarok's Song - The Journey to Nunavut
    We're sorry, this content is not available in your location.
    Martin Kreelak  &  Ole Gjerstad 1998 1 h 15 min
    In this feature-length documentary, three generations of the Caribou Inuit family come together to tell the story of their journey as Canada's last nomads. From the independent life of hunting on the Keewatin tundra to taking the reins of the new territory of Nunavut on April 1, 1999, we see it all.

    The film is the result of a close collaboration between Ole Gjerstad, a southern Canadian, and Martin Kreelak, an Inuk. It's Martin's family that we follow, as the story is told through his own voice, through those of the Elders, and through those of the teens and young adults who were born in the settlements and form the first generation of those growing up with satellite TV and a permanent home.

  • At the Winter Sea Ice Camp: Part 4
    At the Winter Sea Ice Camp: Part 4
    Robert Young 1967 34 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, familes at the winter sea ice camp play games and drum dance inside the igloo. The next day, they set out again over the broad expanse of sea ice.

  • At the Winter Sea Ice Camp: Part 1
    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.

  • Angry Inuk
    Angry Inuk
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    Alethea Arnaquq-Baril 2016 1 h 22 min
    In her award-winning documentary, director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril joins a new tech-savvy generation of Inuit as they campaign to challenge long-established perceptions of seal hunting. Armed with social media and their own sense of humour and justice, this group is bringing its own voice into the conversation and presenting themselves to the world as a modern people in dire need of a sustainable economy.
  • At the Spring Sea Ice Camp: Part 3
    At the Spring Sea Ice Camp: Part 3
    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 aimed to recreate the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living in the area around Kugaaruk.

    In this episode, a hunter, travelling alone by dogsled snares a squirrel. At the camp, a qamutiq is made from a polar bear skin. The family breaks camp, and moves ashore for the summer.

  • At the Autumn River Camp: Part 2
    At the Autumn River Camp: Part 2
    Quentin Brown 1967 33 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 family moves into an igloo and build a qamutik. When it is ready, the family heads down the river to the coast.

  • At the Autumn River Camp: Part 1
    At the Autumn River 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 was an attempt to recreate the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living in the area around Kugaaruk.

    In this episode, it is now late autumn and the family moves to the river valley.

  • At the Winter Sea Ice Camp: Part 3
    At the Winter Sea Ice Camp: Part 3
    Quentin Brown 1967 30 min
    Filmed over a period of three years, from summer 1963 to the late winter of 1965, and released in 1967, the Netsilik series aimed to recreate the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living in the area around Kugaaruk.

    In this episode, work begins on a spacious community igloo. While the men return to their hunt, the women continue with their work and play games with the children. The men return with a seal which is shared by everyone.

  • Arctic Saga
    Arctic Saga
    Douglas Wilkinson 1952 11 min

    This film presents highlights in the life of Idlouk, Inuk hunter, and his family during the long day of the midnight sun on Baffin Island. Depicted are: a seal hunt, a narwhale chase, and scenes of busy camp life. Surrounding all is the Arctic scenery--strange ice formations, the eerie blue whiteness of Arctic winter and, during the time of continuous daylight, the green and brown of Arctic tundra.

  • Angotee: Story of an Eskimo Boy
    Angotee: Story of an Eskimo Boy
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    Douglas Wilkinson 1953 31 min
    A short film featuring an Inuk man from the Eastern Arctic. Made in 1953, it recounts his life from birth to maturity and marriage. Screened widely in Canadian schools, the film is now dated but accurately depicts aspects of Inuit culture of the time.

  • At the Spring Sea Ice Camp: Part 2
    At the Spring Sea Ice Camp: Part 2
    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.

    In this episode, the men hunt for seal, while back at the camp a polar bear skin is pegged out to dry, and people nibble on fish from the cache.

  • At the Caribou Crossing Place: Part 1
    At the Caribou Crossing Place: Part 1
    Quentin Brown 1967 30 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 early autumn. A woman works on caribou skins; men return from their hunt with another caribou; and a boy picks berries and then plays at being a hunter.

  • At the Winter Sea Ice Camp: Part 2
    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
    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.

  • Climate on the Edge
    Climate on the Edge
    Alain Belhumeur  &  Jean Lemire 2003 52 min
    A documentary that gives scientific context to the controversy and debate on climate change. Accessible interviews with climatologists, glaciologists, astrophysicists and oceanographers, juxtaposed with stunning footage, bring understanding to the impact of the melting of the Arctic permafrost and release of greenhouses gases that affect our whole planet.
  • The Conquered Dream
    The Conquered Dream
    1971 51 min
    A documentary history of the exciting, sometimes ill-fated exploration of Canada's Arctic, produced jointly by the British Broadcasting Corporation and the National Film Board of Canada. The film shows the challenge and the rewards of the far north and, from rare film footage, some of the exploits of the first and last men to run the gauntlet of the cold: Byrd's flight; Stefansson's sled journey; Captain Bernier's explorations; and finally, the voyage of the U.S.S. Manhattan.
  • June in Povungnituk - Quebec Arctic
    June in Povungnituk - Quebec Arctic
    Alanis Obomsawin 1980 1 min
    On a beautiful summer’s day in Nunavik, a family enjoys the pleasures of berry picking and fishing as the sound of two Elders throat-singing fills the environment. Directed by Alanis Obomsawin as part of the Canada Vignettes series.
  • Fishing at the Stone Weir: Part 1
    Fishing at the Stone Weir: Part 1
    Quentin Brown 1967 30 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, it is full summer. The skin tents are up, and it is time to fish.

  • Fishing at the Stone Weir: Part 2
    Fishing at the Stone Weir: Part 2
    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.

    In this episode, the fishing continues. The plentiful catch is stored in stone caches after the women have cleaned it. Some of the fish is cooked in a stone pot.

  • Group Hunting on the Spring Ice: Part 1
    Group Hunting on the Spring Ice: Part 1
    Quentin Brown 1967 34 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 men are out hunting on the sea ice.

  • Group Hunting on the Spring Ice: Part 2
    Group Hunting on the Spring Ice: Part 2
    Quentin Brown 1967 27 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 men are out hunting on the sea ice while the women work at drying sealskins, cooking and gathering moss.

  • Group Hunting on the Spring Ice: Part 3
    Group Hunting on the Spring Ice: Part 3
    Quentin Brown 1967 33 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 men return from hunting and families eat seal from the catch.

  • The Hunters (Asivaqtiin)
    The Hunters (Asivaqtiin)
    Mosha Michael 1977 13 min
    Released in 1977, this beautifully paced short was photographed, directed, edited and narrated by Mosha Michael — one of Canada’s first Inuk filmmakers. Michael offers a first-hand account of a three-week Arctic hunting excursion, a rehabilitative trip undertaken by young offenders and their families. Dropping anchor at various points throughout Frobisher Bay, they fish for cod, hunt for seal and caribou, and renew family and community ties. Shooting on a Super 8 camera and providing his own narration, Michael crafts an engaging document of Inuk life in the 1970s. An original score features performances by Kowmageak Arngnakolak and Michael himself.

    Viewer Advisory: This film contains scenes of animal slaughter.
  • Si le temps le permet (version inuktitut)
    Si le temps le permet (version inuktitut)
    2003 0 s
    Documentaire personnel de l'artiste Élisapie Isaac. En pleine immensité boréale, au bord de la mer Arctique, un village : Kangirsujuaq, au Nunavik. Ici, traditions et modernité se croisent quotidiennement. Les rires des enfants habitent joyeusement les rues, les jeunes carburent à la culture « du Sud », alors que les vieux tentent encore de se faire à leur étrange sédentarité. Dans cette toundra à couper le souffle, la jeune cinéaste originaire de Salluit, maintenant installée à Montréal, décide de plonger au coeur de ses origines.
  • If the Weather Permits
    If the Weather Permits
    Elisapie Isaac 2003 27 min
    This short documentary studies life in the village of Kangirsujuaq, Nunavik. In this community on the edge of the Arctic Ocean, children’s laughter fills the streets while the old people ponder the passage of time. They are nomads of the wide-open spaces who are trying to get used to the strange feeling of staying put. While the teenagers lap up Southern culture and play golf on the tundra to kill time, the Elders are slowly dying, as their entire culture seems to fade away.

    Elisapie Isaac, a filmmaker born in Nunavik, decides to return to her roots on this breathtaking land. To bridge the growing gap between the young and the old, she speaks to her grandfather, now deceased, and confides in him her hopes and fears. Grappling with isolation, family relationships, resource extraction, land-based knowledges, the influence of Southern culture and the ongoing impacts of colonialism on Inuit ways of life, Elisapie Isaac offers a nuanced portrait of the North.
  • Jigging for Lake Trout
    Jigging for Lake Trout
    Quentin Brown 1967 31 min
    Filmed over a period of three years, from summer 1963 to the late winter of 1965, and released in 1967, the Netsilik series was an attempt to recreate the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living in the area around Kugaaruk.

    In this episode, the man and woman are ice fishing.

    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.
  • Lords of the Arctic
    Lords of the Arctic
    Caroline Underwood  &  Jean Lemire 2003 52 min
    This documentary by award-winning filmmaker Caroline Underwood focuses on Northern wildlife and its close and tragic relation to climate change, which affects all of the Arctic's fragile ecosystems. The example of the polar bear, studied by biologists for the past 20 years, is revealing. Scientists are also concerned about the precarious situation of bowhead whales and belugas, not to mention seals, walruses and many species of birds. Are the lords of the Arctic in danger of ending their reign over their kingdom of ice and snow?
  • Land of the Long Day
    Land of the Long Day
    Douglas Wilkinson 1952 37 min
    During the short Arctic summer on Baffin Island, the native Inuit enjoys four months of continuous daylight. But it is no time for relaxation, for provision must be made for the long, cold winter night ahead. In this film Idlouk, an Inuit hunter, tells of his life in this northern land. We watch as he stalks the seal so vital to his existence, and as he and other hunters set out in kayaks to harpoon the white whale and the narwhal. At camp we meet his wife, children and aged parents, each of whom has work to do in the unceasing struggle for survival in this harsh land.

    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.
  • Mon village au Nunavik (Version Inuktitut)
    Mon village au Nunavik (Version Inuktitut)
    1999 46 min
    Bobby Kenuajuak a 23 ans. Il habite son village de Puvirnituq, situé sur les rives de la baie d'Hudson au Nord du Québec. Le temps de trois saisons, Bobby dirige sa caméra sur ce qui fonde l'âme de son peuple: son espace, son humour, son histoire. Il refuse d'abdiquer la culture des anciens mais apprécie les avantages des incursions des gens du Sud dans le Nord. De Puvirnituq à Akulivik en passant par Maniitouk et Qikisitarvik, les bernaches font se retourner les têtes, la mer est gorgée de poissons, la toundra s'étend à perte de vue. Ce film propose un regard sans nostalgie, tourné vers le monde, d'un jeune Inuk amoureux de son village au Nunavik.
  • My Village in Nunavik
    My Village in Nunavik
    Bobby Kenuajuak 1999 46 min
    Shot during 3 seasons, this documentary tenderly portrays village life in Puvirnituq, on the shores of Hudson Bay in northern Quebec, as well as the elements that forge the character of its people: their history, the great open spaces, and their unflagging humour.

    This film was produced as part of an emerging filmmaker competition for Indigenous filmmakers. It was directed by Bobby Kenuajuak of Puvirnituq, age 23.
  • Mother of Many Children
    Mother of Many Children
    Alanis Obomsawin 1977 57 min
    In her first feature-length documentary, released in 1977, Alanis Obomsawin honours the central place of women and mothers within Indigenous cultures. An album of Indigenous womanhood, the film portrays proud matriarchal cultures that for centuries have been pressured to adopt the standards and customs of the dominant society. Tracing the cycle of Indigenous women’s lives from birth to childhood, puberty, young adulthood, maturity and old age, the film reveals how Indigenous women have fought to regain a sense of equality, instilled cultural pride in their children and passed on their stories and language to new generations.
  • Nowhere Land
    Nowhere Land
    Rosie Bonnie Ammaaq 2015 14 min
    This short documentary serves as a quiet elegy for a way of life, which exists now only in the memories of those who experienced it. Bonnie Ammaaq and her family remember it vividly. When Bonnie was a little girl, her parents packed up their essentials, bundled her and her younger brother onto a long, fur-lined sled and left the government-manufactured community of Igloolik to live off the land, as had generations of Inuit before them.
  • Nowhere Land (Inuktitut Version)
    Nowhere Land (Inuktitut Version)
    We're sorry, this content is not available in your location.
    2015 14 min
    This short documentary serves as a quiet elegy for a way of life, which exists now only in the memories of those who experienced it. Bonnie Ammaaq and her family remember it vividly. When Bonnie was a little girl, her parents packed up their essentials, bundled her and her younger brother onto a long, fur-lined sled and left the government-manufactured community of Igloolik to live off the land, as had generations of Inuit before them.
  • Our Land, Our Truth
    Our Land, Our Truth
    Maurice Bulbulian 1983 54 min
    Made in collaboration with the Inuit Tungavingat Nunamini, this film focuses on those dissident members of the Inuit community who rejected the agreement signed on November 11, l975, between the Northern Quebec Inuit Association, the Québec and federal governments, the James Bay Energy Corporation, the James Bay Development Corporation, Hydro-Québec and the Grand Council of the Crees, which took away Native rights to a territory of almost one million square kilometres. By their words and actions, the dissident Inuit of Povungnituk, Ivujivik and Sugluk express their strong desire to retain their land and their traditions. The filmmakers go into their homes, on the ice and the sea to record first-hand the lives of these northern people.
  • People of the Ice
    People of the Ice
    Carlos Ferrand  &  Jean Lemire 2003 52 min
    This feature documentary explores the threats of global warming to the Arctic environment that has nurtured the Inuit for 4,000 years. The Inuit have lived in harmony on this frozen landscape for generations. Today, global warming threatens their habitat. As the ice disappears, so does the Inuit culture it is intimately connected to. Ever-changing temperatures have even made predicting the Arctic climate difficult. Will this extraordinarily resilient people be able to adjust to such dramatic change?
  • People of the Seal, Part 2: Eskimo Winter
    People of the Seal, Part 2: Eskimo Winter
    We're sorry, this content is not available in your location.
    1971 51 min
    The second of two coproductions by the British Broadcasting Corporation and the National Film Board of Canada, People of the Seal, Part 2: Eskimo Winter is compiled from some of the most vivid footage ever filmed of the life of the Netsilik Inuit in the Kugaaruk region (formerly Pelly Bay) of the Canadian Arctic. The original films of the Netsilik series attempted to recreate the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living there. They show the incredible resourcefulness of the Netsilik (People of the Seal) who have adapted to one of the world's harshest environments. Part 2: Eskimo Winter shows how Inuit families gather in communities on the sea ice to harpoon seal as they come up through breating holes in the ice. Also seen is the mid-winter season, a time of intense socializing in the communal igloo, with games, contests and ceremonial activities.

  • People of the Seal, Part 1: Eskimo Summer
    People of the Seal, Part 1: Eskimo Summer
    We're sorry, this content is not available in your location.
    1971 51 min
    The first of two coproductions by the British Broadcasting Corporation and the National Film Board of Canada, People of the Seal, Part 1: Eskimo Summer is compiled from some of the most vivid footage ever filmed of the life of the Netsilik Inuit in the Kugaaruk region (formerly Pelly Bay) of the Canadian Arctic. The original films of the Netsilik series attempted to recreate the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living there. They show the incredible resourcefulness of the Netsilik (People of the Seal) who have adapted to one of the world's harshest environments. Part 1: Eskimo Summer shows how Inuit families prepare for winter by hunting seal, birds and caribou and by fishing for Arctic Char during the extended hours of daylight.

  • Qimmit: A Clash of Two Truths (Inuktitut Version)
    Qimmit: A Clash of Two Truths (Inuktitut Version)
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    Ole Gjerstad  &  Joelie Sanguya 2010 1 h 8 min
    This feature documentary offers an overview of the changes experienced by the Inuit from 1950-1970 with their loss of sled dogs and semi-nomadic lifestyle. A controversial issue at the time, many Inuit still believe that their dogs were deliberately killed by the RCMP as part of government policy to force them off the land and into "civilization." Qimmit: A Clash of Two Truths explores how and why the sled dogs disappeared, a mystery that has left deep wounds across Canada's Arctic.
  • Qimmit: A Clash of Two Truths
    Qimmit: A Clash of Two Truths
    Ole Gjerstad  &  Joelie Sanguya 2010 1 h 8 min
    This feature documentary offers an overview of the changes experienced by the Inuit from 1950-1970 with their loss of sled dogs and semi-nomadic lifestyle. A controversial issue at the time, many Inuit still believe that their dogs were deliberately killed by the RCMP as part of government policy to force them off the land and into "civilization." Qimmit: A Clash of Two Truths explores how and why the sled dogs disappeared, a mystery that has left deep wounds across Canada's Arctic.
  • Stalking Seal on the Spring Ice: Part 1
    Stalking Seal on the Spring Ice: Part 1
    Quentin Brown 1967 24 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 spring and a seal is caught and brought back to camp.

  • Stalking Seal on the Spring Ice: Part 2
    Stalking Seal on the Spring Ice: Part 2
    Quentin Brown 1967 33 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 spring and the man is hunting seal.

  • Stories from Our Land 1.5: If You Want to Get Married... You Have to Learn How to Build an Igloo!
    Stories from Our Land 1.5: If You Want to Get Married... You Have to Learn How to Build an Igloo!
    Allen Auksaq 2011 5 min
    In the spirit of the 1949 NFB classic How to Build an Igloo, this short film records Dean Ittuksarjuat as he constructs the traditional Inuit home. From the first cut of the snow knife, to the carving of the entrance after the last block of snow has been placed on the roof, this is an inside-and-out look at the entire fascinating process.

    Stories from Our Land: 1.5 gave 6 Nunavut filmmakers the opportunity to each create a 5-minute short. Each film had to be made without the use of interviews or narration while telling a northern story from a northern perspective. The project was a collaboration between the NFB and the Nunavut Film Development Corporation.
  • Stories from Our Land 1.5: Inngiruti - The Thing that Sings!
    Stories from Our Land 1.5: Inngiruti - The Thing that Sings!
    Nyla Innuksuk 2011 5 min
    This short documentary filmed in Pangnirtung features 2 elders reminiscing about the dances held in their community 50 years ago. One of the elders is master accordion player Simeonie Keenainak, and soon he's making toe-tapping music with his instrument. In this celebration of the pleasures of music and dance, Keenainak plays for the enjoyment of friends, family, and the community at large.

    Stories from Our Land: 1.5 gave 6 Nunavut filmmakers the opportunity to each create a 5-minute short. Each film had to be made without the use of interviews or narration while telling a northern story from a northern perspective. The project was a collaboration between the NFB and the Nunavut Film Development Corporation.
  • Stories from Our Land 1.5: Family Making Sleds
    Stories from Our Land 1.5: Family Making Sleds
    Rosie Bonnie Ammaaq 2011 5 min
    This short film portrays a family working together to make sleds. While the father expertly threads rope through runners and slats, expertly tying knots to hold them together, his wife and child work on their own stylized sleds. The film pays homage to the craft, while also capturing the sheer joy of downhill sled racing.

    Stories from Our Land: 1.5 gave 6 Nunavut filmmakers the opportunity to each create a 5-minute short. Each film had to be made without the use of interviews or narration while telling a northern story from a northern perspective. The project was a collaboration between the NFB and the Nunavut Film Development Corporation.
  • Stories From Our Land 1.5: Nippaq
    Stories From Our Land 1.5: Nippaq
    Qajaaq Ellsworth 2011 3 min
    In this short film, hunter Joshua Atagooyuk stands by a seal's breathing hole. He hunches over, silent, waiting. The sun crosses the sky, hours pass, yet Atagooyuk remains, waiting for the right moment to strike.

    Stories from Our Land: 1.5 gave 6 Nunavut filmmakers the opportunity to each create a 5-minute short. Each film had to be made without the use of interviews or narration while telling a northern story from a northern perspective. The project was a collaboration between the NFB and the Nunavut Film Development Corporation.
  • A Step Towards the Arctic - Reflections and Visions of the North
    A Step Towards the Arctic - Reflections and Visions of the North
    Anne-Marie Tougas 2012 52 min
    In this feature documentary, Swiss citizen Yves Delaunay seeks to understand how the Inuit are coping with the mutation of the Arctic as it is caught in the violent sway of climate change. In Sachs Harbour, an Inuit village on the fringes of the Earth, he discovers a small community attached to its land, conscious of the importance of its traditions and culture, which struggles daily to face the challenges of modernity by way of carving out a place within it.
  • Sikusilarmiut
    Sikusilarmiut
    Peter Raymont 1975 28 min
    Sikusilarmiut is made up of excerpts from animation films made at the Kinngait (formerly Cape Dorset) Film Animation Workshop, interspersed with live-action footage of modern-day Kinngait. The contrast is uncomfortably evident.
  • Timuti
    Timuti
    Jobie Weetaluktuk 2012 29 min
    In this short film, artist Jobie Weetaluktuk turns his gaze on his family and the power of ritual through the story of a young woman and her unplanned child.

    In Inukjuak, an Inuit community in the Eastern Arctic, a baby boy has come into the world and they call him Timuti, a name that recurs across generations of his people, evoking other Timutis, alive and dead, who will nourish his spirit and shape his destiny.
  • Tuktu and the Ten Thousand Fishes
    Tuktu and the Ten Thousand Fishes
    Laurence Hyde 1967 14 min
    This short docu-fiction film tells the story of Tuktu, who is taken on a fishing trip to the ancient stone weir. There, he sees his father and other hunters spear fish in great numbers, and watches his father and his uncle make fire with an Inuit fire drill.

  • Vanishing Point
    Vanishing Point
    Stephen A. Smith  &  Julia Szucs 2012 1 h 22 min
    This feature documentary tells the story of 2 Inuit communities of the circumpolar north—one on Canada’s Baffin Island, the other in Northwest Greenland—that are linked by a migration led by an intrepid shaman. Navarana, an Inughuit elder and descendant of the shaman, draws inspiration and hope from the ties that still bind the 2 communities to face the consequences of rapid social and environmental change.
  • Katinngat
    Katinngat
    2012 1 h 22 min
    Ilaqutariit Inughuit qimussimik ingerlaarput Kalaallit Nunaanni sikumi isorartoorsuarmi. Ingerlaarfissualli aakkiartorpoq, qimmillu siku aserortertoq nakkarfigisarpaat, nakkarfigisarlugu Issittumi imartaq nilleqisoq.

    Angalaqatigiinni utoqqartap Navaranap, akueriartuaalerpaa Issittumi inuiaat tamarmik allanngoriartornermik siornatigut aqqusaarsimanngisaannakkaminnik aqqusaarneqalersut. 1860-ikkunni Navaranap siulersua takorluuillaqqissorsuaq – angakkorsuaq Canadami Baffin Island-imeersoq, Qitdlarssuarmik atilik – angalanermut tusaamaneqaqisumut ilaavoq, naggueqatigiit Inuit Kalaallit Nunaannut ingerlaarnerannik kinguneqartumik. Tassa taassuma angakkorsuup nunassaminik ujaasinerata aakkut naggueqatigiinnerit uummaarissut, sakkunillu atortunillu ineriartortitsinerit, Navaranap siulianut nunassarsiortunut katinngaserpai. Ukiut 150-it sinnerlugit qaangiummata Navarana siulersuarmi nunaanut angalavoq, attaveqarfiginiarlugit Canadamiittut ungasissukkut illooraqqiutini.

    Navaranapangalaqatigaiilaqutariitnunanisumiiffinnimarlunniassigiinngitsuneersut, ukiumoortumik piniariarlutik angalaneranni. Isiginnaarpai qanoq taakkua aatsigut naggueqatigiit Inuit, allanngorarnernut avataaneersunit sunniutaasunut, piniarnermilu ileqqutoqqanut sunniuteqartunut qimarratigisinnaanngisaminnut, assigiinngunik periuseqarlutik imminnut tulluarsartarsimanerat. Misilittakkani aallaavigalugit neriuuteqarpoq inuiaqatimi ataannarnissaanut matuersaat toqqagassanut eqqortunut ammaassisinnaasoq nassaarisinnaassallugu.

    Navarana eqqarsaatersortinneqarpoq neriuuteqalersinneqarlunilu inuiaqatigiit taakkua suli imminnut ataqatigiinneraniit, minnerunngitsumillu siulersuarmi ersigisaqaratik angalasarsimasunit kingornussassaanit, ukiuni issittumi inuusut inuiaat oqaluttuarisaanerminni inuiaqatigiittut avatangiisitigullu aatsaat taama unammillerneqarnerisa nalaanni.

  • Katinniq
    Katinniq
    Stephen A. Smith  &  Julia Szucs 2012 1 h 22 min
    ᕿᒧᔅᓯᖅ ᐅᓯᔪᖅ ᐃᓄᒡᕼᐅᐃᑦ ᐃᓚᒌᓂᑦ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᕗᑦ ᓯᕕᑐᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᓯᑯᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᓂᑦ. ᓯᑰᑉ ᐊᑖ ᐊᐅᑉᐸᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᒍ --- ᕿᒻᒦᑦ ᒪᐅᕙᑉᐳᑦ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᕐᒥᓂ, ᐃᒫᓚᐅᖅᐸᑦᑐᑎ. ᓇᕙᕋᓇ, ᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᒧᑎᒥᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᖅ, ᐊᖏᕈᑎᖃᖅᑯᖅ ᓂᕆᐅᓇᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᑦ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᑕᓕᒫᓄᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᐅᒪᔪᓂᑦ.

    1860-ᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᓇᕙᕋᓇᐅᑉ ᓯᕗᕚᖓ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᖃᓲᖅ --- ᐊᖓᒃᑯᖅ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒻᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐊᑎᓕᒃ ᕿᓪᓚᖅᓱᐊᒥᑦ --- ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᖏᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᔾᔮᓇᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ, ᓯᕗᒃᑲᑕᖅᑐᓂ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᓕᐊᖅᑐᑎ. ᑖᔅᓱᒪ ᐊᖓᒃᑰᑉ ᐃᓚᒌᓕᖅᑐᑎ ᑭᖑᕚᖃᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᓇᕙᕋᓇᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᑐᓴᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᓂᒃᑯᓪᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᐃᓪᓗᓂ. ᐊᕐᕌᒍᐃᑦ 150 ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ, ᓇᕙᕋᓇ ᕿᓪᓚᖅᓱᐊᑉ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᕕᒥᓂᖓᓂᑦ ᑐᔾᔭᐃᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐅᑎᒧᖔᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐳᓚᕋᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᑕᓄᑦ ᐃᓪᓗᒃᑯᖏᓐᓄᑦ.

    ᓇᕙᕋᓇ ᐃᓚᒥᓂ ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᑕᒪᒃᑮᓂᑦ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᕐᒥᐅᓂᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᓂᓪᓗ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑕᒫᖅᓯᐅᑎᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᓯᕙᖃᑎᖃᖅᑯᖅ. ᑕᑯᔭᖃᖅᑯᕐᓗ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᓐᓂᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᑦᑐᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ ᓯᓚᑎᒥᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᒪᐃᓐᓇᕋᔅᓴᐅᖏᑦᑐᓂᑦ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐊᓯᕙᕐᓂᕆᕙᑦᑕᖏᑕ ᐱᔾᔪᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᑎᒍᑦ, ᓇᕙᕋᓇ ᓂᕆᐅᑉᐳᖅ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᖅᓯᒪᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓪᓗᐊᑕᓂᑦ ᓱᓕᔪᓂᑦ ᓴᖅᑮᔪᒫᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐅᕈᑎᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᓗᓯ ᐊᓐᓇᐅᒪᓂᒃᑯᑦ.

    ᖁᕕᐊᓲᑎᖃᖅᑯᖅ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᓄᓇᓖᒃ ᑲᓲᑎᕙᓐᓂᖏᓐᓄᒃ, ᓇᕙᕋᓇ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᓂᕆᐅᓐᓂᖃᕐᓂᒥᓪᓗ ᒪᑭᒪᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᐸᑉᐳᖅ ᓯᕗᕚᖏᑕ ᐆᒻᒪᔾᔭᕆᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᐅᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᓇᒻᒥᓇᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᒥᒍᑦ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᓐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᓂᒃᑯᑦ.

    Click here for the English version
    Click here for the Greenlandic version, Katinngat
  • Washed Away
    Washed Away
    Patricio Henríquez  &  Jean Lemire 2003 52 min
    In Patricio Henriquez' documentary, he brings us to two very different island communities, one in Alaska and one in the South Pacific, with something in common: their homes are under threat from climate change. As global warming causes ocean levels to rise, these islands may be entirely submerged.