ATANARJUAT, THE FAST RUNNER
Released: June 7, 2002
Although this is the first feature for director Zacharias Kunuk, he has since 1990 had his own television and video production company, based in the 1,200-person hamlet of Igloolik in Canada's Nunavut Territory, where this film was shot. Likely the first ever Inuit movie you'll ever see on the big screen, "The Fast Runner" is about universal truths - love, family, deception and the will to survive. While the three hour running time may seem daunting, don't let this movie pass you by. It's shot beautifully and the cast is nothing if not astonishing. You get the feeling you're watching a documentary but really it's skilled actors and crew making a movie that Hollywood could never dream of dreaming of. "The Fast Runner" was shot on wide-screen digital video (then transferred to 35 millimeter) and helps bring the beauty of Canada's north to life on our screens. Most Canadians barely think of anything north of Edmonton and fewer still think of the Inuit people. Movies like "The Fast Runner" show a way of life that may look totally alien on the surface but it's those universalities that bring this story home. Natar Ungalaaq, who plays Atanarjuat the fast runner, deserves lots of praise for his particularly demanding role which includes running butt naked along the ice and snow to avoid his murdering predators. 172 minutes went by fast for myself though I do concede that there could have been a little trimming in the editing process. The overall effect is powerful and unforgettable. It's ironic that Canadian film gets a really amazing center piece and it originates about as far away from the big city Canadian film world as you can possibly get.
172 Minutes
Lot 47 Films/National Film Board/Odeon Films