Nanook Of The North, Robert Flaherty 1921 part 1/8

Criterion Edition. This is not the original print, some scenes have been left out. The score is also not the original, and was composed by Timothy Brook in 1998.

Nanook of the North was filmed from 1920-1921 in Port Harrison, Northern Quebec by Robert Joseph Flaherty. This was the first successful documentary ever made, and was a true benchmark for ethnographic film. Robert Flaherty brought and entirely unknown culture to the western world.

The Flaherty family lived in Port Arthur Ontario from 1901-1905, and one of my relatives by the name of Hans Haugen held a photograph album from Robert Flaherty. Hans Haugen owned the general store at Loon Lake, where the Flahertys had their summer home. I've obtained a photograph called "The Sharks at Loon" containing Robert J. Flaherty, his father Robert H. Flaherty, and a few prominent family members of Port Arthur at the time it was taken. The Flaherty Cabin still stands at Loon Lake, and their former home is located on Algoma Street in Thunder Bay.

• Category

  Film & Animation

[worddoctor1]

I was working on the National Film Board Project in Thunder Bay, when we discovered your relative's Flaherty photo album. It was in an old cardboard box among many other dust-covered boxes in a back room of the Brodie Street Library; and you can imagine our excitement. It was especially exciting for me; because, just the year before, I'd met John Grierson, an old chum of Flaherty's and founder of the National Film Board.

If it weren't for Hans Haugen, these great treasures might have been lost!

[charged220]

What NFB project would that be? I'm guessing you're Jim Farrell, the one who wrote the article for the museum. I have done a lot of research around your article and have looked through other articles and historical sketches from the museum. You remember ahing about the sketch the sharks at Loon?

I've also interviewed a few people and found a deeper character sketch of Flaherty's friend Captain Knobel, and some of the Ruttans.

[shayan2961]

Marvelous. Thanks a lot.

[charged220]

You're very welcome.

[charged220]

It's a cinematic effect. Each person in the kayak was a separate filmed shot, edited together in a convincing fashion. The titles arecarefully used to hide it. It's a hint at Flaherty's sense of humour!

[pH4nTomPL4n3T]

When Eskimos say "Baby on Board", they really mean it!

[Darwin SeventyTwoDown]

Had to watch this for an archeology class for an example of arctic/subarctic hunter-gatherers. Boring at first, but much better bout half way through. The building of the igloo was pretty cool. I can’t imagine living in that type of environment and continously worrying about survival. Wonder how pointless they would think facebook and youtube are.

[TheBellaLuna94]

It was a little disappointing finding out that a lot of the movie was staged, and that nanook was not the real name of the man and that his wives were not really his wives :/

[Jack Kerr]

Heart warming to watch the family get along like any other but Flaherty made the Inuits kill the walrus with harpoons instead of guns which they had at the time, also the scene when we see them waking up later on, he cut half the igloo off so he could get enough light in the shot, they had to get up in the freezing cold, Flaherty was a bit of a dick :L

[Harrison Milburn]

It's sad that these people are pretty much extinct now.

[KristinaissoFr3sh]

watched this in class. Everyone was like "wtf? is that like a clown kayak??" haha

[r33mote]

they borrowed mary poppins' canoe, obviously.

[TDPKendra]

my father, gaylen r. duncan grew up in port aurthur, had a cottage at loon, and was in love with sue ross - whose uncle made nanook, sue painted the inuit, and with her good friend, sheila 'bunny' burnford who wrote the incvredible journey travelled extensively in hte north. sheila wrote 'without reserve' which sue illustrated.

btw the duncan shield canoe race is still run every year at loon

google sue ross painter and there's a link to my dad

[Venomyzz]

that is a magical boat

[Shai Shay]

what a great movie , i am from alaska, a wolf once had me his mane was kiska, he was a great companion , i let him be wild , i guess thats what got him killed , remember him always , and the island we lived on for two years , i think it ws his heaven , I know it was mine