Nanook of the North (1922)

Nanook of the North (1922)

Directed by: Robert J. Flaherty

Starring: Allakariallak, Nyla, Allee

I guess this was one of the first films to really document the Inuit eskimo’s way of life, which is pretty cool. My mom lived in Alaska for a few years and I learned a lot about a couple Inuit tribes during that time. People always talk about igloos as if they’re a joke but those things are fucking crazy brilliant pieces of architecture.

This is a silent documentary about various Inuit practices, following an eskimo named Nanook and his family as they hunt, build igloos, and do other culturally unique things. There are also lots of puppies.

This is a pretty cool movie. Seeing these guys hunt walrus and build igloos and make knives, all that stuff, it’s just cool. Also, the film claims that Nanook killed seven polar bears with only harpoons. That’s about as badass a claim as I can think of.