Zacharias Kunuk
Occupation / Title:Date of birth:27/11/1957
Birthplace:Kapuivik, Nunavut
Associated studios:Kunuk co-founded the Isuma Productions which is the first independent Inuit production company in Canada.
Biography
Zacharias Kunuk is an award-winning Inuk director and producer from Kapuivik, Baffin Island. In his recent stop-motion short film, Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice, Kunuk tells the story of a young Inuit girl’s searching of spirituality. He aims to reclaim Inuit culture buried by colonialism through the exploration of Inuit shamanism and traditional religion.
Career outline
Kunuk bought his first video camera in 1981. Based in Iglulik,he worked as an independent filmmaker who documented Inuit lifestyles. He then worked in the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation in 1982.
In 1988, Kunuk, Norman Cohn and Pauloosie Qilitalik cofounded Isuma Productions, which is the first independent Inuit production company in Canada.
Personal style
His artistic style centres on the authentic life and traditional roots of the local people. He hopes to illustrate and commemorate Inuit history, linguistics, and arts in his films. His films thus often taint with a nostalgia of Nunavut’s past.
Honors and awards
His film, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, received the Golden Camera award in Cannes Film Festival in 2001.
His film, The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, opened the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006.
In 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, Angakusajaujug: The Shaman’s Apprentice received the honour of Best Canadian Short Film.
Filmography
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References:
Venn, David. “Zacharias Kunuk explores Inuit shamanism in short animated film.” Nunatsiaq News, Aug 26, 2021
“Zazharias Kunuk.” Inuit Art, https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/zacharias-kunuk-explores-inuit-shamanism-in-short-animated-film/
“Zacharias Kunuk.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zacharias_Kunuk