Starring Natar Ungalaaq, Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq, Lucy Tulugarjuk, Sylvia Ivalu, Pakkak Innukshuk, Pauloosie Qulitalik. Directed by Zacharias Kunuk. With English sub-titles. A long time ago, in an Inuit tribe in the far north of North America, a Tulimaq had two sons Atanarjuat (Ungalaaq), the fast runner, and Amagjuaq (Innukshuk), the strong one. Both of these men became excellent hunters. Their rival Oki, the son of the mean-spirited Sauri, is strong, but lazy, selfish and just as mean as his father. Atuat (Ivalu) was promised to Oki in an arrangement by their fathers, but she prefers Atanarjuat and the feeling is mutual. In a quite brutal punching contest, Atanjuarat beats the stronger Oki, and Atanjuarat and Atuat are soon married. Oki's sister Puja, cute and perpetually smiling, also desires Atanjuarat, and when Atuat is pregnant and can't go on the caribou hunt with her husband, Puja volunteers to join him on the hunt. Alone, and nature taking its course, the two consummate their friendship and eventually Atanjuarat marries Puja and she joins his camp. Hard-working when the men are around, she does nothing when the men are away from camp, and Atuat and the remaining women complain about her. Then she helps herself to somebody she should not have, and she is thrown out of camp. Sulking and looking for revenge, Puja returns to her family's camp, and concocts a story designed to inflame a still bitter Oki. She and Oki then plan an ambush and while it does not go exactly as planned, Oki is able to become the undisputed leader of the village when Sauri later dies. But will Oki and Puma be able to maintain their position in the tribe? Winner of six Canadian Genie film awards, including Best Picture, Atanjuarat is a documentary-like recreation of an Inuit legend that has been passed down through the generations. The tale occurs before the white man appears in their world, and shows a time where the Inuit lived in small groups and their lives consisted of hunting, survival, and an attempt to live spiritual lives. The characters fall far short, experiencing both love and jealousy, hate and revenge, and quite graphic attitudes toward sex and desire. Just before Oki and Atanjuarat begin their contest for the hand of Atuat, one of Atanjuarat's friends taunts Oki with a very graphic poem about sexual prowess and the possible lack of it. The film features an overriding Inuit belief in Shamanism, where mystical spirits of good and evil exist influencing the lives of the Inuit. Sauri's family and their bad behaviour is explained not as poor moral character, but as the characters being possessed by evil spirits. When Atanjuarat needs help or wonders what he should do, ancestors and the good spirits are called upon for assistance. The film is not just a tale of murder and jealousy, but a lesson that the Inuit peoples should put the needs of the group ahead of their own needs, or bad things will happen. People will be hurt, and they will not be successful in finding food. It also shows the harsh beauty of the far north, with no sight of towns, villages or other people - just snow and tundra as far as the eye can see. Filmed with digital video, the print is nevertheless quite clear and vibrant. Especially beautiful are the scenes where a naked Atanjuarat runs over the frozen snow and tundra in the bright sun while trying to escape. The pace of the film is quite slow and unhurried, helping to illustrate that not much was done by the characters except trying to survive the harsh elements. In fact, the film is overlong at close to three hours. Several of its segments are unimportant to the overall story, and several of the necessary ones drag on too long. Because of the digital video and the documentary style of the film, one doesn't always remember the people in the film are acting. Several of the actors are new to acting, but others have been part of the Isuma Productions group, which have been making Inuit cultural movies for several years. Strongest performances are turned in by Lucy Tulugarjuk as the seductress Puja, and Sylvia Ivalu's noble and decent Atuat, but the cast as a group were quite believable as people braving the elements several thousand years ago. Atanarjuat is a beautifully filmed, overlong epic story about love, sex, God, survival, jealousy and revenge, and a look into a little known culture that reveals issues and events common to all communities, including modern ones. The almost three hours of screen time tests the patience of the viewer, but that patience is rewarded with a memorable film. If you would like to respond, please click the E-Mail Press Here To Go To The Review List Page