''Inuk'' (previously titled ''Le Voyage d'Inuk'') is a Greenlandic-language film directed by Mike Magidson and co-written by Magidson, Ole Jørgen Hammeken and anthropologist Jean-Michel Huctiniletaitunefoislecinema.com
( French
Google translation:
by Samir Ardjoum, "Interview with Jean-Michel Huctin, co-author of Tour Inuk", accessed 20 January 2009. It is Magidson's first feature film. It screened in Stockholm film Festival on 20 April 2010 in an unfinished version and made its official theatrical release in Greenland on 11 May 2012. The film was selected as the Greenlandic entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the

85th Academy Awards The 85th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2012 and took place on February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p. ...

, but it did not make the final shortlist. The film won the Award Best Film at the 2012

Byron Bay International Film Festival The Byron Bay Film Festival is a popular AACTA Awards accredited independent awards-based film event held in the late Australian summer at the Byron Community & Cultural Centre, in the coastal town of Byron Bay. The festival was established in ...

Background

The "Children's Home Uummannaq" is situated 500 km north of the Arctic Circle in the small town of

Uummannaq Uummannaq is a town in the Avannaata municipality, in central-western Greenland. With 1,407 inhabitants in 2020, it is the eighth-largest town in Greenland, and is home to the country's most northerly ferry terminal. Founded in 1763 as Omenak, t ...

bhjumq.com
Childrens Home Uummannaq, accessed 20 January 2009. and was the source of inspiration of the two writers. The film is co-produced by Ann Andreassen, who also plays a role in the film. Anderassen has assisted with many foreign

documentaries A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...

shot in

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland i ...

. Mike Magidson had previously made two documentary movies in Greenland with her help before he and co-author Jean-Michel Huctin decided to make a

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

. They began shooting in April 2008 in Uummannaq Bay and in

Nuuk Nuuk (; da, Nuuk, formerly ) is the capital and largest city of Greenland, a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the country's largest cultural and economic centre. The major cities from other coun ...

and finished in November.voyagespolaires.com
( French
Google translation:
"''On Thin Ice - Le Voyage d'Inuk'' - the film", accessed 20 January 2009.docsideproduction.fr
(in French
Google translation:
"Le Voyage d'Inuk", accessed 20 January 2009.

Plot

''Inuk'' covers a journey from

's south to its north as an homage to the origins of the

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

. It is the coming-of-age story of 16-year-old Inuk, who was raised in the south in Greenland's capital

, and who is torn between the violence of his

alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...

parents and his dreams of creating an Inuit rock band. He is sent to a foster home in the north, where his foster guardian and teacher, Aviaaja sends him to the bear hunter Ikuma so that he may learn wisdom. But Ikuma had begun to doubt himself after his own world began to decline due to the

effects of global warming The effects of climate change impact the physical environment, ecosystems and human societies. The environmental effects of climate change are broad and far-reaching. They affect the water cycle, oceans, sea and land ice (glaciers), sea lev ...

. This begins Inuk's difficult initiation into manhood through a journey by

dogsled A dog sled or dog sleigh is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing. Traditionally in Greenland and the ...

where the

seal hunt Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. Seal hunting is currently practiced in ten countries: United States (above the Arctic Circle in Alaska), Canada, Namibia, Denmark (in self-governing Greenland only), I ...

replaces

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

s. On his journey he meets and is attracted to the rebellious Naja. He finally reconciles his life, but in doing so re-awakens the old injury that had affected the life of Ikuma.

Cast

*Gaaba Petersen as Inuk *

Ole Jørgen Hammeken Ole Jørgen Hammeken − born in 1956 in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, of Maritha and Motzflot Hammeken − is a Greenlandic explorer and actor, based in Denmark and Russia. Career Polar exploration He participated in 2007 in the 'Global W ...

as Ikuma *Rebekka Jørgensen as Aviaaja *Sara Lyberth as Naja *Inunnguaq Jeremiassen as Minik *Elisabeth Skade as Inuk's Mother

Release

A preliminary screening was at ''salon du cinema de Paris 2009'' while the film was still being edited. The French film team was there to speak about the difficulties of shooting in polar conditions with non-professional actors and a small crew. One of the main actors of the movie,

arrived in France in time to view the screening and speak.lequotidienducinema.com
( French
Google translation:
"From 16 to 18 January 2009 - Grande Halle de la Villette", accessed 20 January 2009fantastikindia.fr
( French
Google translation:
"Salon du Cinema 2009: ask for the full program! (Samedi) (Saturday)", accessed 20 January 2009. The Official Theatrical release was done on the 11 May 2012 in Nuuk Greenland with all the Greenlandic officials where invited by Børnehjemmet UPI the Greenlandic producer of the film.

References

External links

Official Website

Official Website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Inuk Greenlandic drama films Films shot in Greenland Films set in Greenland Inuit films