I am in the midst of reading a pile of books to figure out what to review next. In the meantime, I thought I’d write about a great movie I just saw!
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In Greenland, ice matters. Unfortunately, there’s a lot less of it these days, and the Inuit hunters and fishermen struggle to eke out an existence, often having to change their routes to avoid thinning ice with its potentially fatal cracks.
Meanwhile, Inuk, a teen-aged boy, lives in the city. He had once lived a traditional life, but as a child he saw his father fall through the ice and die. He and his mother moved to the city, where she turned to alcohol to cope. Emotionally abandoned and uncared for, Inuk is taken from his mother and sent to the north to a children’s home, where he is re-introduced to the traditional ways. A hunting trip across the ice brings Inuk in contact with the great hunter Ikuma. Both deeply scarred, Inuk and Ikuma must work together in the harsh environment. As the film’s synopsis says, “the most difficult part of the journey is the one they must make within themselves.”
Inuk is not your average Hollywood fare. The actors are all natives of Greenland’s north country, including children from an actual children’s home and hunters who make their living from seals and fish. None had previous acting experience. Director Mike Magidson never directed a film before, either. And yet, the rich story is well-acted and conveys a country struggling with changes in both traditions and climate.
Having made the rounds of a number of film festivals, where it has gathered a number of awards, Inuk is preparing for its debut in 25 U.S. cities later this year. If you get a chance to catch this heart-warming story, please do.
It is not your typical Hollywood movie-at all! I am a movie freak. I don’t watch much television but will quite happily sit and watch movie after movie. I’ll give this one a gander. Thanks Nadine.
I’m happy to pass this one along! It’s pretty remarkable.
Sounds good, and it includes subjects close to my heart–the effects of global warming on native populations, holding on to traditional ways/finding ways to meld the traditional with the modern when necessary. I’ll keep my eye out for it. Thank your for writing about it!
Last year we hiked in an area in Switzerland where they showed with signs the receding of glaciers — it was a jaw-dropping experience to see how climate change has affected that country. Seeing this movie was a similar experience. I felt as though I was there. I can’t believe that people are still denying that this is happening!