Nanook of the North (1922)

Director:

Robert J. Flaherty

Writers:

(more)

Release Date:

11 June 1922 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

A story of life and love in the actual Arctic.

Plot:

In this silent-film predecessor to the modern documentary, filmmaker Robert J. Flaherty spends one year following the lives of Nanook and his family, Inuit Eskimos living in the Arctic Circle.

Plot Keywords:

Inuit | Dog | Public Domain | Harpoon | Winter

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Allakariallak	...	Nanook (as Nanook)
Nyla	...	Herself - Nanook's Wife, the Smiling One
Allee	...	Himself - Nanook's Son
Cunayou	...	Herself - Nanook's Wife
Allegoo	...	Himself - Nanook's Son
Camock	...	Himself - Nanook's Cat
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Berry Kroeger	...	Narrator (1939 re-release) (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert J. Flaherty

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Frances H. Flaherty		idea (uncredited)
Robert J. Flaherty		uncredited

Produced by
Robert J. Flaherty	....	producer
John Révillon	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Rudolf Schramm		(1947)
Stanley Silverman		(1976)

Cinematography by
Robert J. Flaherty		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Herbert Edwards		(1947 version)
Robert J. Flaherty		(uncredited)
Charles Gelb		(uncredited)

Sound Department
Blachley	....	sound (1976 version)

Music Department
Miriam Arsham	....	music editor (1976 version)
Richard Fitz	....	assisting artist: percussion (1976 version)
Ida Kafavian	....	violin (1976 version)
Buell Neidlinger	....	assisting artist: double bass (1976 version)
Daniel Moses Schreier	....	assistant: Mr. Silverman's (1976 version)
Peter Serkin	....	piano (1976 version)
Fred Sherry	....	musician: cello (1976 version)
Richard Stoltzman	....	clarinet (1976 version)
Tashi	....	played by (1976 version)

Other crew
David H. Shepard	....	film restoration (1976 version)
Willard Van Dyke	....	supervisor: International Film Seminars (1976 version)

Production Companies

• Les Frères Revillon
• Pathé Exchange

Distributors

• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Cult & Classic (Brazil) (video)
• Divisa Home Video (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Janus Films (????) (USA) (TV) (1976 version)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Pathé Exchange
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (video)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Suevia Films (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• YLE Teema (2010) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

79 min | 65 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA | France

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Portugal:17 (original rating) | Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating) | Australia:G | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Québec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Germany:6 | Spain:T | UK:U (re-release) (1947)

Filming Locations:

Hudson Bay, Québec, Canada

Company:

Les Frères Revillon

Trivia:

The claim that Allariallak died of starvation in 1922, months after the film was completed, is inaccurate and distortion of reality that he likely succumbed to tuberculosis.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Petticoat Junction: Dear Minerva (#3.1)" (1965)

Sensitive Documentary

For a film as old as Nanook of the North, it might be expected that some cultural imperialism would seep into such an anthropological venture. Amazingly, this is hardly the case. The lives of a band of hardy eskimos are shown with little added or taken away. We see them fighting for food, playing, building shelters, and cowering in the dark winter. All of these elements are shown without undue sentimentality. We are amazed at the lives we see because they are so different from our own, yet we realize just how human they are when they smile at us and engage us. The sequence where the igloo is built is truly remarkable, as are many of the hunting expeditions. However, just when we start to think that the life we are seeing may be perfect in its purity, we are shown the other side of eskimo life. The bleak ending of the film forces the viewer to come to terms with his romanticized view of eskimos that the first part of the film creates. A great film experience.