- The Forgotten Reels of Nunavut’s Animation Workshop
- 89
- NR
Screening Dates
The newly uncovered reels in this program mark a pivotal moment in Nunavut’s film history, revealing the first wave of local filmmakers to move beyond conventional storytelling toward experimental, abstract, and satirical forms. Nearly tripling the size of the known archive of early Inuit animation, the program features curated selections of films produced at the Sikusilarmiut Animation Studio between 1972 and 1975. The avant-garde approaches of Mathew Joanasie, Salomonie Pootoogook, and Timmun Alariaq—including innovative animation and abstract techniques—establish the foundations of a cinematic language that’s unique to Nunavut. The reels also highlight contributions from the broader artistic community: carvers such as Okpik Pitseolak and Etulu Etidloie, painters and lithographers including Pitaloosie Saila and Aoudla Pudlat, as well as sculptors like Itee Pootoogook and photographers like Peter Pitseolak. Some of the films’ soundtracks—blending traditional singing, sound collage, and instrumental improvisation—are so formally complex they could be studied independently. Collectively, these reels document the vibrant, experimental, and foundational spirit of Nunavut’s avant-garde cinema, offering a rare window into a transformative moment in Northern artistic production. —Camilo Martín-Flórez
Introduced by Camilo Martín-Flórez, collection curator at the National Film Board of Canada.
Pictures Out of My Life: The Drawings and Recollections of Pitseolak
Canada 1973
Bozenna Heczko
13 min. DCP
In English
Arctic Workshop Reels 1–3
Canada 1972–75
Various
48 min. DCP
In English and unsubtitled Inuktitut
Sikusilarmiut
Canada 1975
Peter Raymont
28 min. DCP
In English
Please note: Unclaimed tickets for complimentary screenings at The Cinematheque will be released 15 minutes before showtime. Please arrive early to guarantee your seat.
Presented in partnership with the National Film Board of Canada
Media
Note
June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day, a celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ culture and heritage in Canada. Initiated by the Government of Canada in cooperation with Indigenous organizations, this event, occurring annually on the summer solstice, provides an opportunity to recognize, reflect on, and learn about the rich histories, diverse traditions, and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
Camilo Martín-Flórez uses decolonial, transnational, and archival theories to study and promote the NFB’s remarkable success over its eight decades of existence. A PhD in Film Studies from the University of Bologna, Martín-Flórez has presented his research at several academic conferences in the Americas and Europe, and published in various academic journals. He is also a filmmaker who’s written, directed, and edited nine short films that have been screened in festivals worldwide.