Through a tapestry of reflection, rare footage and her own home, Inuk filmmaker Holly Andersen tells the little-known story of the forced relocation of an Inuit community from Hebron, north of Nain, to more southerly locations along the Labrador Coast. Although that painful disruption of 233 lives occurred more than 50 years ago, the repercussions of the move last to this day.
Kikkik (2000)
It is taking decades for Canada to come to terms with its history in the Arctic, and with its relationship to all its indigenous people. “Kikkik” is the story of government mistakes and neglect, of starvation, murder, freezing death, but, in the end, a kind of justice that helps restore our faith in human decency. In 1958, the Inuit woman Kikkik was charged with murder and criminal negligence leading to the death of her child. Her trial and our visit back to the place and to Kikkik’s children confront us with a legacy that’s still a challenge for Canada.
Natsik Hunting (1975)
Mosha Michael made an assured directorial debut with this seven-minute short, a relaxed, narration-free depiction of an Inuk seal hunt. Having participated in a 1974 Super 8 workshop in Frobisher Bay, Michael shot and edited the film himself. His voice can be heard on the appealing guitar-based soundtrack…. Natsik Hunting is believed to be Canada’s first Inuk-directed film. – NFB
Urban Inuk (2005)
Qallunajatut (Urban Inuk) follows the lives of three Inuit in Montreal over the course of one hot and humid summer.Only two generations ago Inuit lived in small, nomadic hunting camps scattered across the vast Arctic landscape. Since the 1950s, this traditional lifestyle has undergone an astonishing transition from Stone Age to Information Age, as Inuit first relocated (often by force) to government-run settlements, and, more recently, beyond the settlement into southern cities.
My Village in Nunavik (1999)
Shot during three seasons, Kenuajuak's documentary tenderly portrays village life and the elements that forge the character of his people: their history, the great open spaces and their unflagging humour. Though Kenuajuak appreciates the amenities of southern civilization that have made their way north, he remains attached to the traditional way of life and the land: its vast tundra, the sea teeming with Arctic char, the sky full of Canada geese. My Village in Nunavik is an unsentimental film by a young Inuk who is open to the outside world but clearly loves his village. With subtitles.
Qipisa (2017)
The director goes back to her roots in Pangnirtung, amongst her family and community. It leads her to another journey: to Qipisa, the outpost camp from where they were uprooted.
Throat Song (2011)
In a small town in the Canadian Arctic, Ippik, a young Inuit woman, suffers in an abusive relationship. She starts to heal when she connects with other victims of violence and finds her voice.
Nanook Taxi (1977)
Ningiuksiak, an Inuk who lives in the settlement of Cape Dorset, is on a hunt with his family. On his way back to Cape Dorset, Ningiuksiak's snowmobile breaks down. Since he does not have the money to fix it he decides to leave his family and fly to the town of Frobisher Bay to make some money. Ningiuksiak's cousin in Frobisher Bay, Ashoona, a somewhat urbanized Inuk who makes his living as a construction worker or as a cab driver, has drifted away from hunting and the traditional way of life of the remote settlements. Ashoona takes Ningiuksiak in hand and helps him to get a job driving for the Nanook Taxi Company. Increasingly unhappy and bewildered, Ningiuksiak takes to spending his money on liquor and his time in seedy nightclubs. One night, half-heartedly trying to show that he is having a good time, he looks up and sees his wife. She has come to take him home to Cape Dorset.
That Which Once Was (2011)
In 2032 an eight-year old boy, displaced by global warming, fends for himself as an environmental refugee in a hostile northern metropolis. Haunted by memories of flooding that left him homeless and orphaned, the boy forms an unexpected friendship with an Inuk ice carver who helps him confront his past.
Alien Contact: The Pascagoula UFO Encounter (2020)
A seminal alien abduction case is re-opened as new eye witnesses confirm the horrifying UFO encounter. Hear the true story from the lone survivor, Calvin Parker, with shocking details that have never before been exposed.
Rom Boys: 40 Years of Rad (2020)
When a tragedy strikes the worlds most unique skate park, a dogged group of old school skaters, BMXers and street artists team up to fight for its survival.
Frontera (2020)
Juan Carlos is a lonko who has fought in defense of Mapuche autonomy. Many question him because he agreed to work for the government in order to improve conditions in his community. At home he shares his concerns, while his animals watch the tension grow and the seasons advance.
The Fountain (2007)
A filmmaker makes a film about a young woman who baths in a public fountain, casting herself in the role.
The Canadian Dream (2024)
A migrant farmer’s quest for a better life in Canada unfolds through his own words and from his daughter’s perspective in this poignant family portrait. The film exposes the harsh exploitation and dismal working conditions Ontario’s migrant farm workers endure, while at the same time celebrating the resilience of the human spirit as it is manifested in one man’s battle for justice.
Autism Plays Itself (2024)
A film shot in 1957 at the Maudsley Hospital, London, captures children under observation for atypical behaviour. In the present day, three autistic respondents watch the footage, offering new and insightful interpretations of the children’s actions. Through speculation and identification, with wit and audacity, the responses forge a new soundtrack from an autistic point of view.
D’Agata limite(s) (2019)
Franck Landron follows photographer Antoine d'Agata wherever he goes, to the edges of the world, in a discreet presence, camera in hand. He has been doing hours and hours of rushes, patiently, without hurrying or rushing, he wants this film as fair, as honest, and as long as it takes: it lasted six years.
Guy Martin: The World's Fastest Van? (2018)
Guy Martin rebuilds his beloved transit van and tries to break the van lap record at the dangerous and demanding Nürburgring in Germany. But the huge undertaking threatens to end in disaster.
Shipibo Konibo: A Rite of Passage (2005)
In Peruvian Amazonia, for the first time in many years, a Shipibo–Konibo community prepare to perform the Aneshiati ceremony: a time of dance, song, festive clothing, and drink—including the sacred tea ayahuasca.
Sunshine State (2022)
Steve McQueen’s first new artwork since his major commission Year 3 at Tate Britain in 2019, Sunshine State is a two-channel video projection shown on both sides of two screens placed one next to the other. Opening with footage of a burning sun, the work unfolds exploring images from the musical drama The Jazz Singer (1927), starring the famous singer Al Jolson. The film is known as the first "talkie" in the history of cinema that uses synchronised dialogue.
Holky: The Steven Holcomb Story (2022)
Steven Holcomb, known to his team and friends as "Holky", is a bobsled driver who emerges as an unlikely best hope to end Team USA's 62-year Olympic gold medal drought. But Steven has a dangerous secret: He is going blind - and he's the bobsled driver. In the last interview conducted before he passed away at the age of 37, Steven tells his own story of rising through the ranks as a bobsled driver, hiding his blindness from his team as he becomes one of the best sled drivers in the world, his struggle with depression, and how, with the help of an experimental surgery, he overcomes his obstacles and captures gold before his untimely death. At a time when society is finally beginning to discuss the mental health of athletes, the film makes an invaluable contribution to this important conversation.