‘Who Were We? and What Happened to Us?’: Inuit Memory and Arctic Futures in Igloolik Isuma Film and Video

Abstract

This chapter analyses the history of one of the most successful indigenous film- and video-making groups, Nunavut’s Isuma. Based in Igloolik, Bredin charts the emergence of the group, as led by Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn, while addressing the historical limitations on Inuit filmmaking in Canada. Bredin examines the impact of Isuma’s works both on indigenous filmmaking in the Arctic and in Canada, as well as on global art cinema. Bredin provides a detailed history of Isuma from its early days in community activism and Inuit video production, to its move into documentary and feature filmmaking. The chapter focuses on The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (2006) and also considers works such as Cannes award winner Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001). Bredin concludes with an analysis of Isuma’s distribution strategies and its goal to connect with both indigenous and non-indigenous audiences.