Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001)

Original title

ᐊᑕᓈᕐᔪᐊᑦ

Directed by

Zacharias Kunuk

Genre

drama film, fantasy film

Country

Canada

Runtime

2h 47m

Rated

R

Rating

6.8 of 10 from 79 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

In the ancient Arctic, a legendary Inuit hunter named Atanarjuat sparks a deadly feud when he takes two wives. After his brother is killed, he must run for his life across the ice and tundra.

ancientepictensevisceralmethodicalgroundedmythicstark

What happens

Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (Inuktitut: ᐊᑕᓈᕐᔪᐊᑦ) is a 2001 Canadian epic film directed by Inuk filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk and produced by his company Isuma Igloolik Productions. It was the first feature film ever to be written, directed and acted entirely in the Inuktitut language. Set in the ancient past, the film retells an Inuit legend passed down through centuries of oral tradition. It revolves around the title character, whose marriage with his two wives earns him the animosity of the son of the band leader, who kills Atanarjuat's brother and forces Atanarjuat to flee by foot. The film premiered at the 54th Cannes Film Festival in May 2001, and was released in Canada on 12 April 2002. A major critical success, Atanarjuat won the Caméra d'Or (Golden Camera) at Cannes, and six Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture. Atanarjuat was also a commercial success, becoming Canada's top-grossing release of 2002, outperforming the mainstream comedy Men with Brooms. It grossed more than US$5 million worldwide. In 2015, a poll of filmmakers and critics in the Toronto International Film Festival named it the greatest Canadian film of all time. It also topped the CBC's 2023 list of The 50 Greatest Films Directed by Canadians. The film was selected as the Canadian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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