Eskimo Movies

We have recently seen three movies that are definitely worth watching if you're interested in seeing some of the ways Eskimos lived. It's interesting to see which traditions have carried on and which haven't.

The first is called Nanook of the North. It is from 1922 and is considered the first ever documentary. Our favorite scene is when Nanook pulls up in his kayak and it empties out like a clown car. His son was riding on top, one wife hunkered down in the front of the kayak and one in the back. One wife had a baby on her back and the other had a dog with her. The movie is tough to find but we were able to rent it from Netflix.



The second move that we just purchased is, Eskimo. It was filmed in 1933 in the Brevig / Teller area, which makes it twice as fun for us to watch. It stars Ray Mala who was born in Candle, Alaska, not so far from here and lived in Teller for a few years. He went on to have a successful career in movies, both in acting and as a cameraman. Eskimo is the story of a great hunter and his family's encounters with the white sailors. We had a hard time tracking down the movie but finally found it at an online store that sells out of print classic movies. It only cost $9 with shipping and handling.

And then there's The Fast Runner if you prefer newer movies. It is set in Canada and was written, produced, directed, and acted by Inuit folks. It won a bunch of awards and is a great story. Unlike some movies about Native people, this film doesn't try and make the culture seem superior just because they're Indigenous. They tell the good, the bad and the ugly, which is just the reality of all cultures.


--AnnMarie