When we had a perfect day, the actors put on their make-up and costumes, and we went onto the site where we wanted to shoot. Inuit/Eskimo. Atanarjuat : the fast runner. This breakthrough film fascinates on many levels. When we are writing the script, they might jump in and say, 'Oh, we wouldn't say such a word to our in-law! Despite being shot on digital video, Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner)is epic, even Shakespearean, in scope, culminating in an astounding extended sequence as [2] It was the first Inuktitut-language screenplay,[7] and the project became the first feature film in Inuktitut. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (Inuktitut: ᐊᑕᓈᕐᔪᐊᑦ) is a 2001 Canadian epic film directed by Inuit filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk and produced by his company Isuma Igloolik Productions. Having won the Golden Camera at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and the 2002 Genie Award for Best Motion Picture, Zacharias Kunuk’s Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001) is a noteworthy motion picture. [9][15] Kunuk regarded this as racial discrimination. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner They even showed how the dogs were handled and treated, even down to the way they would slicken their sledge rails by spitting small amounts of water on them until a layer of slick frozen ice formed, which makes the sledges slide easier over the pack ice. Noah Piugattuk's nomadic Inuit band live and hunt by dog team, just as his ancestors did. According to anthropologist Bernard Saladin d'Anglure the biggest challenge was resurrecting the beliefs and practice of shamanism, "the major frame of reference for Inuit life". Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner – Summary and Analysis Posted on June 20, 2019 June 20, 2019 by JL Admin During that time, video and lightweight camera equipment sparked a revolution in independent video productions. [36] At one point the production company was considering making Atanarjuat action figures. When the children of an executed General are pursued in 1457 China, some heroic martial arts swordsmen intervene. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Atanarjuat the Fast Runner Zacharias Kunuk. The film premiered at the 54th Cannes Film Festival in May 2001, and was released in Canada on 12 April 2002. Atanarjuat wins the hand of the lovely Atuat away from the boastful son of the camp leader, Oki, who vows to get even. He is rescued by Qulitalik and his family, who conceal him when Oki arrives in pursuit. Trailer for Atanarjuat - The Fast Runner, best Canadian Feature Film (2001 Toronto International Film Festival) [23] In the U.S., it grossed $1.75 million by 11 July 2002. Panikpak tells the group it is time for forgiveness: Oki and Puja and their friends are forgiven for their evil deeds, but are exiled from Igloolik forever. [33], The goals of the film were first to show how for thousands of years Inuit communities had survived and thrived in the Arctic, and second to introduce the new storytelling medium of film to help Inuit communities survive long into the future. [3] This agrees with geomorphological estimates that Qikiqtaarjuk (Herschel Island), Inuktitut for little island and now a peninsula of Igloolik Island,[4] on which much of the action occurs, became a peninsula about 500 years ago due to isostatic rebound. Written by ;] -- A retelling of an Inuit legend of love, jealousy, murder and revenge in the Igloolik region, focusing on two brothers: Atanarjuat and Amaqjuaq. When the white man known as Boss arrives in camp, what appears as a chance meeting soon opens up the prospect of momentous change. Whether you're ready for the return of your favorite show or need to catch up, May is packed with an array of returning series. One day the women decide to go find eggs, but first Puja places a boot outside the tent where the men are resting. The site's consensus reads, "Compelling human drama and stunning cinematography make The Fast Runner an absorbing experience". The story of Atanarjuat: the Fast Runner is based on an ancient Inuit legend that deals with the dangers of setting personal desires above the needs of a whole community. [39] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a positive 91% "Certified Fresh" based on 98 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. Twenty years pass. [14] Kunuk found there was a lack of funding available from Telefilm and the Canadian government, which prioritized English and French-language productions over the languages of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, and would not provide more than $100,000 for a film in an Aboriginal language, which would make Atanarjuat impossible. ATANARJUAT (THE FAST RUNNER) 2001. [38] However, Eric Moreault, writing for La Presse, dismissed Atanarjuat's first-place finish as nonsensical, noting Mon oncle Antoine topped all previous versions. Two brothers emerge from the evil order: Amaqjuaq, the Strong One, and Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner. Adaptation Expansion: The story in Lyon's journal was only a couple of pages long, so writer Paul Apak Angilirq added many characters and events. [32] Leonard Maltin awarded the film four stars, calling it "A privileged peek into Inuit culture and a stirring, deeply personal drama". Need some help finding the best things to watch on Netflix? [26], Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner was praised by critics upon its release. [36], In 2004, critics and filmmakers in the Toronto International Film Festival named the film fifth in the Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time. [2] The Inuit believe the story of Atanarjuat to be more than five centuries old. Synopsis; Education; This adaptation of an ancient Inuit legend was filmed in Inuktitut and directed by Inuit filmmakers - making Atanarjuat the first feature film of its kind! [40] On Metacritic the film has a score of 91 out of 100 based on 29 critics indicating critical acclaim. We meet two brothers, Amaqjuaq (Pakkak Innukshuk), known as the Strong One, and Atanarjuat (Natar Ungalaaq), known as the Fast Runner. It was the first feature film ever to be written, directed and acted entirely in the Inuktitut language. He catches his brother having sex with Puja and strikes Puja. We would go fifty miles out into the country where there were no roads, nothing. [44] Atanarjuat was not nominated. Released February 1st, 2002, 'Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner' stars Natar Ungalaaq, Sylvia Ivalu, Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq, Lucy Tulugarjuk The R movie has … Atanarjuat grows up to be a fast runner, Amaqjuaq is strong, and they are rivals with Sauri and his son Oki. Kunuk felt this was "A message more fitting for our times", and agreed that it "probably" reflected the influence of Christianity and its concept of forgiveness on contemporary Inuit. View production, box office, & company info. Evil in the form of an unknown shaman divides a small community of nomadic Inuit, upsetting its balance and spirit. "[37] The Nunatsiaq News heralded the choice as a sign Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner "has stood the test of time". Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner shows the impact of a certain belief on a tribe of Eskimos in Igloolik, a village in Eastern Arctic wilderness, at the dawn of the first millennium. But Atuat loves the good-natured Atanarjuat, who ultimately finds a way to marry her. The film’s narrative unfolds at the dawn of the first millennium, when Atanarjuat is still an infant. I bought in to the hype surrounding this very bad 2001 film. Igloolik is a community of 1200 people located on a small island in the north Baffin region of the Canadian Arctic with archeological evidence of 4000 years of continuous habitation. The spell-happy Oki just wants to have a feast. Use the HTML below. For some reason the NFB uses Atanarjuat the Fast Runner. [21] It was also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2001. Centuries ago, in what would become the Canadian Arctic, Atuat is promised to the malevolent Oki, son of the leader of their tribe. '"[18], The filming crew was 90% Inuit. He explained, "I first heard the story of Atanarjuat from my mother". Later, Atanarjuat is in an unhappy marriage with Atuat and Puja. You will then want to immediately see it again and demand a documentary on the making of this film. Oki and two henchmen sneak up and plunge their spears through the tent wall. But Atanarjuat prepares an ice floor in an igloo and invites Oki and his brothers inside. The telling of an Inuit legend of an evil spirit causing strife in the community and one warrior's endurance and battle of its menace. It was just like when we go out today, spring camping, putting up canvas tents and moving from here to there. Although the NFB had abandoned fiction, Isuma argued that in documenting Inuit mythology, Atanarjuat was similar to a documentary film. A portrayal of the lives of the last great Inuit shaman, Avva, and his beautiful and headstrong daughter, Apak. [22] The film opened in New York City on 7 June 2002. After having a chance to sleep on it, it is now starting to sink in how truly amazing this movie was. Watch this complete film on iTunes. 2000 | 2 h 41 min. Set in the ancient past, the film retells an Inuit legend passed down through centuries of oral tradition. It is a beautiful story based on an Inuit legend that exists on many different levels and subplots, etc. Add the first question. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. It was one of the rare Canadian films not in French submitted for consideration, with The Necessities of Life in 2008 also containing a substantial amount of Inuktitut. I have read many books on Inuit culture, and most everything I have read was visualized in this movie, the social structure, the power of the patriarch, the constant looming of starvation, the role of the hunter/husband, the insubordination of women (pre-arranged marriages), the obsession with taboo and curses, the fine art of building igloos and staying warm in -60 temps, and yet, through all the hardships, there was so much happiness. The Fast Runner. Trailer of the first Inuit feature film Atanarjuat The Fast Runner, a life-threatening struggle of love, jealousy, murder and revenge between powerful natural and supernatural characters set in ancient Igloolik. In 2015, a poll of filmmakers and critics in the Toronto International Film Festival named it the greatest Canadian film of all time. Later, Atanarjuat leaves his wife Atuat at a camp to hunt caribou, but he stops at Sauri's camp, where he is persuaded to take Puja on the hunt. Most importantly, your respect for their pride and perseverance of their culture will increase ten-fold. The poster also uses Atanarjuat The Fast Runner without the colon. [17] The budget was approved at $1.96 million. Tulimaq, the laughing stock of the camp, is having bad luck hunting and can barely feed his family, but Panikpak brings meat for Tulimaq's children, Atanarjuat and Amaqjuaq, hoping that one day they will make things right. You will want to know who these people are, what they do in their normal lives, because most of these actors are making their big screen debut. Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq as Oki, Atanarjuat's rival, Apayata Kotierk as Kumaglak, the old camp leader, Pauloosie Qulitalik as Qulitalik, brother of Panikpak, Mary Qulitalik as Niriuniq, wife of Qulitalik, Sylvia Ivalu as Atuat, sought as a wife by Atanarjuat and Oki, Abraham Ulayuruluk as Tungajuaq, the evil shaman, Luke Taqqaugaq as Pittiulak, Oki's sidekick, This page was last edited on 4 January 2021, at 01:43. Kumaglaq, the young son of Atanarjuat and Atuat; namesake of the old camp leader. It's about an older man, Minygululu, who has three wives and realizes that his younger brother Dayindi may try to steal away the youngest wife. [22] It had already been playing in France for seven weeks, and was on 83 screens. A fact-based account of ordinary citizens who found themselves arrested and imprisoned without charge for weeks during the October Crisis in 1970 Quebec. Natar Ungalaaq plays the titular Atanarjuat, a "fast runner," who finds himself betrayed by one of his wives and engaged in a dramatic, violent dispute with her family. The visitor removes the walrus-tooth necklace from Kumaglak's body, and puts the necklace around the neck of Kumaglak's son Sauri, who thus becomes camp leader. Back at Igloolik, Sauri refuses to let Oki have Atuat, but Oki rapes Atuat, who is comforted by Panikpak. The one thing that I thought of today was how the movie was TOTALLY absent of the white, European influence. You will be first blown away by the fact that this movie even exists. Oki's sister, Puja also fancies Atanarjuat, and when she causes strife between him and his brother Amaqjuaq, Oki seizes the opportunity to wreak a terrible revenge on Atanarjuat. It is now time to confront the evil that has plagued the community for so long. ; National Film Board of Canada. Overpraised by highfalutin critics mistaking something new for something brilliant, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner is not necessarily a terrible film, but it is most certainly an exercise in endurance, flimsy storytelling, poor acting, and awkward symbolism. The combination of dramatic realism and archaic grandeur is irresistibly powerful". The end of the movie gives you a quick behind-the-scenes peek, but it serves as only a small appetizer to a bigger feast. A film crew documents a folk story-exquisite corpse combination by random Thai people; the story is reenacted. [22] Brian D. Johnson of Maclean's hailed it as a masterpiece and a landmark in international film, writing, "This movie doesn't just transport you to another world; it creates its own sense of time and space. Rivals plunge their spears through the walls of the brothers' tent, but the fast runner makes an escape across the ice, naked and barefoot. When a woman shelters a group of girls from suffering female genital mutilation, she starts a conflict that tears her village apart. [15], Everything was different—the way we traveled, the way we camped. Eventually he collapses in exhaustion with bloody feet. I wasted my money. Afterwards, you will realize that almost all of these people, cast and crew, were full-blooded Inuit. Inspired by the John Ford film The Searchers, an Inuit woman and her daughter are kidnapped by three Inuit men, while her husband and son are away. Inside a large igloo, families have gathered for a celebration. During a spiritual duel with the visitor, the camp leader Kumaglak dies. The relationship between a father and daughter is complicated by the arrival of a handsome young man. ; Arranged Marriage: Atuat's and Oki's fathers agreed early on that their kids should get married, though only Sauri seems to still be around to enforce it. [13], After Isuma applied to Telefilm Canada in spring 1998 for financial support, plans were made to begin filming in Igloolik, Nunavut in April. In her heart, Panikpak summons her brother Qulitalik to come, as they agreed years ago. Almost everyone who participated in this production was full-blooded Inuit. Atanarjuat - The Fast Runner [VHS] Natar Ungalaaq (Actor), Sylvia Ivalu (Actor), Zacharias Kunuk (Director, Writer) [11][12], Despite the emphasis on accuracy, the film takes liberties with the original Inuit myth: "At the film's core is a crucial lie", wrote Justin Shubow in The American Prospect,[13] which is that the original legend ended in a revenge killing, whereas in the film Atanarjuat stops short of shedding blood. It grossed more than US$5 million worldwide. Atanarjuat escapes by following a vision of Qulitalik and jumping a wide open crack in the ice. An evil curse was said to be following one member of the tribe, Oki, because of his jealousy of Atanarjuat. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Canada submitted Atanarjuat for consideration for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. [2][5][6] The main elements of the original story are that two brothers are betrayed by their wives and help set up a sneak attack. During a game of 'wolf tag' Atanarjuat pursues the beautiful Atuat, provoking jealousy in Oki. It was against the law! Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner. Based on an ancient Inuit legend, Atanarjuat is an epic tale of love, betrayal and revenge. Based on the journals of 1920s Danish ethnographer Knud Rasmussen. Years later, that conflict continues even when Tulimaq's sons, Amaqjuaq, the Strong One and Atanarjuat, the Fast Runner, have become the best hunters of their people. [2] Doug Alexander wrote in the Canadian historical magazine The Beaver that Atanarjuat "is an important step for an indigenous people who have, until recently, seen their culture recorded by outsiders". Atanarjuat was also a commercial success, becoming Canada's top-grossing release of 2002, outperforming the mainstream comedy Men with Brooms. In a punching duel with Oki, Atanarjuat wins the right to marry Atuat. Amaqjuaq is killed, but Oki is startled by a vision of his grandfather Kumaglak, and Atanarjuat, naked and barefoot, bursts out of the tent and runs for miles across the ice, pursued by Oki's gang. They are people living in a fragile existence, where any wrong move could mean sure death.The actors are astonishing, and it must have been so terribly cold up there, that you know this was a labor of love for the production team. [19] The film production pumped more than $1.5 million into the local economy of Igloolik and employed about 60 people. I see the production company calls it Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) and Atanarjuat The Fast Runner. The telling of an Inuit legend of an evil spirit causing strife in the community and one warrior's endurance and battle of its menace. There would be fifteen tents and eighty people, all the kids running around, just waiting for a perfect day. [24], By 7 November 2002, Atanarjuat grossed $1.1 million in Canada,[25] with Odeon Films spokesman Mark Slone declaring this "an unqualified hit". [31] Marjorie Baumgarten from The Austin Chronicle complimented the film's script, cinematography, and visual style as being unique and refreshing. A major critical success, Atanarjuat won the Caméra d'Or (Golden Camera) at Cannes, and six Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture. [16], Due to difficulty with funding, Isuma instead successfully appealed for support of the National Film Board of Canada. Lake, Atanarjuat was also a commercial success, becoming Canada 's top-grossing release of 2002, the! Daughter, Apak and Puja sing, flirt, and the family make the Fast Runner up! 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