Nanook Of The North (1922)

Director: Robert Flaherty Genres: US Classics, Silent, Lifestyle, Documentary, Action-Adventure Origin: USA Certificate: G Running Time: 87 min

synopsis

The key work in the field of documentary film, and one of the most important productions in the history of cinema, Nanook of the North was hailed as a masterpiece on its release in 1922, and became both a critical and commercial success. Nonetheless, the film has its detractors, and controversies have raged concerning its non-fiction status, Flaherty's methods and even the sensitivity towards the indigenous culture it claims to portray. What remains undeniable is the film's importance, its wide-reaching influence on other pioneering filmmakers such as John Grierson and Jean Rouch, and the sheer beauty of its images and the power of its storytelling – the means by which Flaherty succeeds in capturing the very spirit of the Inuit people, and their epic struggle against the forces of nature at its most harsh. The film has been restored for this special video edition, and features a new music score. The tape also contains part of an interview with Frances Flaherty discussing her husband's work and Nanook in particular.