Zacharias Kunuk

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Zacharias Kunuk
Born Kifutikajuk Taqaq Nujatut Attafutaluk Quatuk
(1957-11-27) November 27, 1957 (age 67)
Kapuivik, Canada
Residence Igloolik, Nunavut Canada
Ethnicity Inuit
Education Federal Day School
Occupation Filmmaker
Years active 1995–present
Employer Isuma Productions, Igloolik
Known for Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, the first indigenous film with all indigenous cast and entirely in Inuktitut
Partner(s) Lydia Anguratsiq
Children 5
Parent(s) Enuki, Vivian
Website Isuma Productions

Zacharias Kunuk, OC (born November 27, 1957) is a Canadian Inuk producer and director most notable for his film Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, the first Canadian dramatic feature film produced entirely in Inuktitut.[1] He is the president and co-founder with Paul Qulitalik, Paul Apak Angirlirq, and the only non-Inuit, ex-New Yorker team member, Norman Cohn, of Igloolik Isuma Productions, Canada's first independent Inuit production company.[2]

Background

Zacharias Kununk was born in Kapuivik on Baffin Island in Canada. In 1966 he attended school in Igloolik. There he carved and sold soapstone sculptures to afford movie admissions. As his skill improved, he was able to buy cameras and photographed Inuit hunting scenes. When he heard about video cameras in 1981, he purchased a camera and the basic equipment to be able to teach himself how to create his own movies.[3]

Career

His second film, The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, is a co-production with Denmark in which he is a co-writer and co-director with Norman Cohn. It premiered on September 7, 2006, as the opening film at the Toronto International Film Festival.

In 2002, Kunuk was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

He is the son of Enoki Kunuk, a hunter who was lost for 27 days during June 2007 in the Arctic tundra.

Kunuk is the co-founder of the Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change Project, along with Ian Mauro of the University of Victoria's School of Environmental Studies. The goal of the project is to collect information from Inuit elders for a film about the Inuit perspective on the impact of climate change on Inuit culture and the environment. The project submitted a video to the United Nations for the 2009 COP15 Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change which was presented at Denmark's National Gallery.[4]

As of April 2011, Kunuk is developing a project with Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond about the 18th century conflict between Cree and Inuit, which lasted almost a century.[5]

Filmography

Feature films and television:[6]

  • Nunavut: Our Land (1995) Director and writer of television series
  • Atanarjuat (2001) Director, producer, writer and editor
  • Kunuk Family Reunion (2004) Director and producer of television documentary
  • Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004) Appeared in television documentary
  • The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (2006) Director, producer and art director
  • Before Tomorrow (2008) Executive Producer
  • Tungijuq (2009) Executive Producer of short
  • Home (2011) Director and writer of short
  • National Parks Project (2011) Director of documentary

Awards

Year Award Result Recipient
2001 Cannes Film Festival: Golden Camera Win Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
2001 Edinburgh International Film Festival: New Directors Award Win Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (Tied with L.I.E.)
2001 Ghent International Film Festival: FIPRESCI Prize-Special Mention-Grand Prix Win Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
2001 Hawaii International Film Festival: Special Mention Best Feature Film, Best Feature Film Nominated Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
2001 Santa Fe Film Festival: Luminaria-Best Feature Win Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
2001 Toronto International Film Festival: Best Canadian Feature Film Win Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
2001 Cinemanila International Film Festival: Lino Brocka Award Win Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (Tied with What Time Is It Over There?)
2002 Genie Awards: Claude Jutra Award-Best Achievement in Direction, Best Achievement in Editing, Best Motion Picture Win Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (Shared with Norman Cohn, Paul Apak Angilirq, Germain Wong
2002 Newport International Film Festival: Audience Award-Best Feature Win Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
2002 San Diego International Film Festival: Festival Award-Best Feature Film Win Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
2002 Toronto Film Critics Association Awards: TFCA Award-Best First Feature Win Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
2003 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards: CFCA Award - Most Promising Director Nominated Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
2003 Independent Spirit Awards: Independent Spirit Award-Best Foreign Film Nominated Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner

See also

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

Cite error: Invalid <references> tag; parameter "group" is allowed only.

Use <references />, or <references group="..." />

External links

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ "Zacharias Kunuk." Famous, Should Be Famous, and Infamous Canadians. (retrieved 29 Jan 2011)
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Zacharias_Kunuk&oldid=3966556"