Natsik Hunting
25-year-old Mosha Michael made an assured directorial debut with this seven-minute short, a spare, narration-free depiction of an Inuit seal hunt. After participating in a Super 8 workshop in Frobisher Bay in 1974, Michael shot and edited the film himself. His voice can be heard on the lively, guitar-accompanied soundtrack. Released in 1975, _Natsik Hunting_ is believed to be Canada’s first Inuk-directed film.
| Director | Mosha Michael |
| Actor | Frédéric Savard |
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At first glance, Natsik Hunting may seem like a simple amateur film shot in the Northwest Territories, but it is in fact a work of great significance within Canadian cinema. Shot on Super 8 Ektachrome and later transferred to 16 mm by the NFB, it is considered the first documentary made by an Inuk in Canada. Since the film was directed, photographed, and edited by Mosha Michael—who also composed its original soundtrack—it can even be argued that this is the very first Inuit auteur film.
After learning the basics of handling a Super 8 camera in workshops offered by the NFB in partnership with the Department of Indian Affairs [sic] in 1974, Michael created Natsik Hunting to document the rituals and traditions surrounding seal hunting in his community. Devoid of voice-over narration—which was quite rare for an NFB documentary at the time—the eight-minute short stands out from typical ethnographic films by breaking free from the colonial gaze. It finally gives its subjects a voice, transforming them from passive characters into active participants in their own story. The film is part of a trilogy that also includes The Hunters (Asivaqtiin) and Whale Hunting (Qilaluganiatut), all of which will soon be restored by the NFB due to their historical importance.
Frédéric Savard
Archivist and programmer
-
Français
8 mn
Language: Français -
English
8 mn
Language: English
- Année 1975
- Pays Canada
- Durée 8
- Producteur ONF / NFB
- Langue Without dialogue
- Résumé court A seal hunt in Frobisher Bay in 1974, filmed and edited by Mosha Michael, who, at 25, thus became the first Inuk filmmaker.
- Ordre 4
- TLF_Applismb_CA 1
- Date édito CA 2026-02-20
At first glance, Natsik Hunting may seem like a simple amateur film shot in the Northwest Territories, but it is in fact a work of great significance within Canadian cinema. Shot on Super 8 Ektachrome and later transferred to 16 mm by the NFB, it is considered the first documentary made by an Inuk in Canada. Since the film was directed, photographed, and edited by Mosha Michael—who also composed its original soundtrack—it can even be argued that this is the very first Inuit auteur film.
After learning the basics of handling a Super 8 camera in workshops offered by the NFB in partnership with the Department of Indian Affairs [sic] in 1974, Michael created Natsik Hunting to document the rituals and traditions surrounding seal hunting in his community. Devoid of voice-over narration—which was quite rare for an NFB documentary at the time—the eight-minute short stands out from typical ethnographic films by breaking free from the colonial gaze. It finally gives its subjects a voice, transforming them from passive characters into active participants in their own story. The film is part of a trilogy that also includes The Hunters (Asivaqtiin) and Whale Hunting (Qilaluganiatut), all of which will soon be restored by the NFB due to their historical importance.
Frédéric Savard
Archivist and programmer
-
Français
Duration: 8 minutesLanguage: Français8 mn -
English
Duration: 8 minutesLanguage: English8 mn
- Année 1975
- Pays Canada
- Durée 8
- Producteur ONF / NFB
- Langue Without dialogue
- Résumé court A seal hunt in Frobisher Bay in 1974, filmed and edited by Mosha Michael, who, at 25, thus became the first Inuk filmmaker.
- Ordre 4
- TLF_Applismb_CA 1
- Date édito CA 2026-02-20
