''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.

Background

The "Children's Home Uummannaq" is situated 500 km north of the

Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circl ...

in the small town of Uummannaqbhjumq.com
Children's 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 (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". The American author and media analyst Bill ...

shot in

Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...

. 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 (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

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

Nuuk Nuuk (; , formerly ) is the capital and most populous city of Greenland, an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the territory's largest cultural and economic center. It is also the seat of gove ...

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 (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwe ...

. 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 the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

parents and his dreams of creating an Inuit rock band. He is sent to a

foster home Foster care is a system in which a underage, minor has been placed into a ward (law), ward, group home (Residential Child Care Community, residential child care community or treatment centre), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, ref ...

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 Effects of climate change are well documented and growing for Earth's natural environment and human societies. Changes to the climate system include an overall warming trend, changes to precipitation patterns, and more extreme weather. As ...

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

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

replaces

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

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 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, Ole Jørgen Hammeken 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