Hot Docs 2008

Against the harsh Arctic magnificence of Inukjuak, Quebec Inuit elders share intimate personal stories and remarkable tales of survival as they build the first traditional seal skin boat their community has seen in more than 50 years. Once an essential vessel for travelling and hunting, the umiaq has been usurped by canoes powered with outboard motors. Traditional survival skills are melting away as rapidly as the ice caps in the North where sugar, warm houses and video games are the new necessities. UMIAQ exquisitely connects the boat's construction to building cultural cohesion through anchoring a community in its rich history. In Inuktitut with English subtitles.
-Gisèle Gordon