Twice Colonized

Doubly powerful, this film exposes the mechanisms of assimilation that have operated — and continue to operate — both in Canada and Denmark among Inuit populations. To make these forces tangible, the director chooses to immerse us in the deeply personal experience of Aaju Peter, a lawyer of remarkable resilience, who has endured both the attempted cultural destruction of her Greenlandic people and the intimate violence of a toxic relationship in Iqaluit, Canada.

Alongside Aaju Peter, we witness her journey of reclaiming herself, her language, her rights, and her stories. This transformation unfolds through political, activist, and legal engagement, giving form to realities that are often rendered invisible.

I am particularly struck by the moment when Aaju Peter addresses the audience during a conference — and, through her voice, the viewers of the film also — asking: “What would you like us to do: do you want us to be sustainable and traditional, or do you want us to be part of the modern economy?” She pauses for a moment of silence, then answers: “Guess what, it is our choice!”

The film forces us to acknowledge the voices of those who still carry the traces of multiple colonizations — and of the ongoing ones of today.

Sylvie Lapointe
Filmmaker