An ambitious documentary focused on the drastic environmental and cultural changes that have occurred over the last 100 years in the Inuit village of Inukjuak, the location where Robert Flaherty filmed Nanook of the North from 1920-1921. From the recording of interviews to filming daily life, much of this new documentary was produced by members of the community.
A Century After Nanook dives deep into the many traumas experienced by Inukjuakmiut due to colonialism, as well as the devastating effects of Arctic warming. But the film also highlights the strength, adaptiveness, and ingenuity of the community that provides real hope for a better future. The film was co-produced by Kirk French from Pennsylvania, Neal Hutcheson (three-time Emmy winner) from North Carolina, and Sarah Samisack from Inukjuak.
Kirk French
Kirk French is an award-winning professor of anthropology and Emmy-nominated filmmaker at Penn State University. As a filmmaker, French attempts to prioritize the voices and perspectives of the Indigenous groups he collaborates with — to facilitate documentaries that remain in the authentic voice of the community. French is also the director of the CORVA Studio Lab at Penn State University where community involvement is an essential ingredient to his holistic approach to filmmaking.