Nanook Of The North

As known as Nanook of the North. Widely held as the first anthropological documentary film ever made, it documents a year in the life of an Inuit Eskimo (Nanook) and his family.

Category:

• Documentary
• Classics
• Family

Starring:

• Allakariallak
• Nyla
• Cunayou
• Allee
• Allegoo
• Berry Kroeger

Directed by:

• Robert J. Flaherty

Produced by:

• Robert J. Flaherty
• John Révillon

Written by:

• Frances H. Flaherty
• Robert J. Flaherty

Tags:

• NanookOfTheNorth
• Inuit
• Dog
• Public
• Domain
• Harpoon
• Winter
• Eskimo
• Indian
• Seal
• Igloo
• Snow
• Kayak
• Walrus
• documentary

[vcanby]

I am contrasting this with Fast Runner for my Documentary Film Class and it should be noted that some of this film is staged and those Inuits, which is the proper name are more with it than this film portrays. While reading some history I found out the camera they used broke and it was the Indians who fixed them...funny to think about when you see Nanook stupidly chewing on the record. I suggest watching Fast Runner, after this. It is an all Inuit made film!! More accurate!

[oldbloke135]

Some of the comments are quite ridiculous. The eskimos were active participants in this project, not exploited ignorant victims. They were acting, so that their ancestors way of life could be captured on film while there were still people around who could remember it. These "stone age people" normally hunted with guns, they only used spears for the film. It was 1920, not 1820!

[ramlalgandoo]

Shit

[Joeblow20111]

@ickybonesss Yeah definitely faked. I studied it in a film class and some critics argue that it's mostly an advertisement for fur. If you know anything about the Canadian fur trade, traders exchanged really inexpensive goods like crummy food and cutlery for very valuable pelts. The film is all propaganda to make it seem like the Inuit can't survive without "the white man" and would starve without them to try and justify the fact that fur traders were taking complete advantage of these people.

[Joeblow20111]

@vcanby apparently the actor who played Nanook (which isn't his real name as you can probably guess, although I can't remember what he was named) actually repaired phonographs as well and was probably more familiar with the technology than the director. Just adds to the irony of the biting the record scene.

[girjaye]

there is an ancient technique, whereas, one will use the mouth and teeth to scientifically derive the constituency of what the element of a product or thing would be

[girjaye]

the Fast Runner was so excellent that I purchased the movie. Like I said... the "White MAn" taught others to be more materialistic and is still doing it along with their "cronies" in other countries.. Corporatization and Political Coporatization.. Please! any Ivy League educated Socio-Cultural Anthropologist understands how intelligent people used to be many eons ago... now we have a bunch of robot people... where are the original thinkers of TODAY?

[girjaye]

thank goodness some saved film of the anthropological aspect of how it was... now is this land still to the indigenous or like us in the usa has the 'white man' moved them away too? At 14 years old I had a crises.. I became ashamed about being white with blonde hair and blue eyes, eventhough, being part Mongolian and Cherokee. Already the "white man" was allowing the Inuit to become materialistic and the deal seemed like a rip off for the inuit and animals almost disappeared because of greed

[snipelfritz]

@MrCangoods2 Because he's a silly savage who doesn't know what technology is if it isn't made of seal skins (that was ironic).

They were familiar with this kind of technology if at least from the filmmaker introducing them to it. A lot (if not all) of this film was staged based on his other trips to the region. They had a complete understanding of the film and were playing along.

[Shinobi11San]

This guy seems so touched, simply by spending time with a people not his own. Look at us now...We are devolving. Sad.

[ickybonesss]

Does anyone know if this was actually faked? Not the whole thing but people say that is was. I really hope not since it's such a great film.

[telemetry9]

This shows human beings at their best. Those people were indeed wealthy in every way. It's a blessing to watch their humanity that is so evidently at peace within themselves and with everything.

Life really isn't about years lived; it is about the quality of the life you live..

Spiritually; emotionally and physically. The people in the film are far wealthier and healthier than we are today. God bless them and their spirits that must look at the modern world; perplexed and saddened.