Collectif Arnait Video Productions
Created in 1991, the women's collective Arnait Video Productions or Arnait Ikajurtigiit ("women who help each other"), aims to highlight the Tuqquqtausimajut ("things that are precious") for the women of Igloolik first, but also for all Inuit women.
Initiated by the cooperation between Marie-Hélène Cousineau (then a Quebec director), Madeleine Ivalu and Mary Kunuk, the group first used video as a creative tool. To see oneself and to be seen; to speak, to show, to communicate. The cinematographic medium as a means of resolving local problems.
Thus, the directors film the practices and specificities of the Inuit woman: from her artistic creations (the blanket in *Unakuluk: Dear Little One*) to her work (traditional clothing in the Iglooqlik style, whose costumes are used in certain productions), from her daily life (*Qulliq, Oil Lamp*) to her exploits (Queen of Nunavut Quest).
The vernacular approach allows for the archiving of these productions at Queen's University, as they testify to a precious cultural heritage, inscribed in an oral and immaterial traditionality, which is now made accessible to communities, researchers and spectators!
At the same time, a fictional approach to the form of the feature film was born with *Before Tomorrow* in 2008 (Best First Canadian Film Award at the Toronto International Film Festival), opening up new and broader themes, mixing approaches, encounters and layovers.
On the occasion of the International Inuit Day on November 7th, Tënk invites you to watch 3 films from Arnait Video Productions and discover a piece of the creative richness of this collective.
3 products
Unakuluk, Dear Little One
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Rooted in tradition, adoption is a reality that all Inuit families have experienced. In Inuit culture, adopting a child from a relative, friend or acquaintance is a common practice. This documentary explores Inuit family relations through the personal histories of women who have experienced adoption in one way or another.
Sol
Subscription access
Solomon Tapatsiaq Uyarasuk was a charismatic young Inuk – an amateur acrobat, musician and poet. A beautiful soul, tormented by his people’s lot, who died far too young. This film is a stirring tribute to the young man. Starting with a celebration of Sol’s life, which ended suddenly in a holding cell under suspicious circumstances, the filmmakers shift into an investigative mode, seeking to unc...
Unakuluk, Dear Little One
Subscription access
Rooted in tradition, adoption is a reality that all Inuit families have experienced. In Inuit culture, adopting a child from a relative, friend or acquaintance is a common practice. This documentary explores Inuit family relations through the personal histories of women who have experienced adoption in one way or another.
Sol
Subscription access
Solomon Tapatsiaq Uyarasuk was a charismatic young Inuk – an amateur acrobat, musician and poet. A beautiful soul, tormented by his people’s lot, who died far too young. This film is a stirring tribute to the young man. Starting with a celebration of Sol’s life, which ended suddenly in a holding cell under suspicious circumstances, the filmmakers shift into an investigative mode, seeking to unc...
