Inuit

Inuit (pronounced /ˈɪnuːɪt/ or /ˈɪnjuːɪt/; Inuktitut: ᐃᓄᐃᑦ, "the people") are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska. Inuit is a plural noun; the singular is Inuk. The oral Inuit languages are classified in the Eskimo-Aleut family, whereas Inuit Sign Language is a critically endangered language isolate spoken in Nunavut.

In the United States and Canada the term "Eskimo" was commonly used to describe the Inuit, and Alaska's Yupik and Inupiat. "Inuit" is not accepted as a term for the Yupik, and "Eskimo" is the only term that includes Yupik, Iñupiat and Inuit. However, Aboriginal peoples in Canada and Greenland view "Eskimo" as pejorative, and "Inuit" has become more common. In Canada, sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 named the "Inuit" as a distinctive group of Aboriginal Canadians who are not included under either the First Nations or the Métis.

The Inuit live throughout most of the Canadian Arctic and subarctic in the territory of Nunavut; "Nunavik" in the northern third of Quebec; "Nunatsiavut" and "NunatuKavut" in Labrador; and in various parts of the Northwest Territories, particularly around the Arctic Ocean. These areas are known in Inuktitut as the "Inuit Nunangat". In the United States, Inupiat live on the North Slope in Alaska and on Little Diomede Island. The Greenlandic Inuit are the descendants of migrations from Canada and are citizens of Denmark, although not of the European Union.

Inuk (film)

Inuk (previously titled Le Voyage d'Inuk) is a Greenlandic language film directed by Mike Magidson and co-written by Magidson, Ole Jørgen Hammeken and anthropologist Jean-Michel Huctin. It is Magidson's first feature film. It screened in Stockholm film Festival on 20 April 2010 in an unfinished version and made its official theatrical release in Greenland on 11 May 2012. The film was selected as the Greenlandic entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards, but it did not make the final shortlist.

Background

The "Children's Home Uummannaq" is situated 500 km north of the Arctic Circle in the small town of Uummannaq and was the source of inspiration of the two writers. The film is co-produced by Ann Andreassen, who also plays a role in the film. Anderassen has assisted with many foreign documentaries shot in Greenland. Mike Magidson had previously made two documentary movies in Greenland with her help before he and co-author Jean-Michel Huctin decided to make a feature film. They began shooting in April 2008 in Uummannaq Bay and in Nuuk and finished in November.