Nanook of the North
1922
A story of life and love in the actual Arctic Read more
| Starring | n, N, a |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert J. Flaherty |
| Genres | Documentary |
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Nanook of the North
A story of life and love in the actual Arctic
| Starring | n, N, a |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert J. Flaherty |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Documentary |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: not available Production year: 1922 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Sponsored by furriers Revillon Frères, shot in the frozen wastes of Hudson Bay and re-edited in 1948 with commentary and music added, this remains a historic, ground-breaking work by the great pioneering documentarist Robert Flaherty. According his subject matter the dignity it deserves, Flaherty recorded, with insight and touches of humour, the life of Inuit Nanook, his wife Nyla and their family and their harsh daily struggle for survival. A truthful, unembellished account of Inuit life — building an igloo, capturing a seal, fishing in ice for food, trading furs in the summer — the film looks undeniably primitive by today's standards, but present-day documentarists owe it a debt.
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Flaherty's pioneering ethnographic documentary is structured as a year in the life of an Inuit hunter (Nanook) and... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Excellent realist cinema
Consistently included in top fifty list of documentaries, this isn't actually a documentary at all. This was attempt an by Flaherty and the Inuit participants to showcase a way of life that was already disappearing. It was shot over a twelve month period 1920 -21 on location in far north. Collaborators had to not only cope with filming in severe weather conditions but also ensure their own survival. During the footage of the walrus hunt you can hear the 'actors' yelling for Flaherty to stop filming and use the gun as the outcome was getting desperate. Food shortages, both for the actors and the sled dogs, plagued the shooting.
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