Atanarjuat

Aroview: A ‘cause celebre’ of recent film festivals worldwide, this filmed folktale from the ice-bound Innuit communities of northern Canada, sustains its dramatic saga of good vs evil, revenge and sheer survival with astonishingly minimal means.

Shot on the icefloes and barren shorelines of the north using digital video equipment and local involvement, it concerns the dynastic battle for supremacy among a remote cluster of eskimo families, who must still band together to survive whatever happens. When one of their number is ambushed in a murderous raid he flees naked across the ice, the start of his transformation into an avenging warrior. Understated, naturalistic performances enhance the epically-weighted story, while the details of Innuit society, food-gathering, superstition and humour are consistently interesting.

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