An Inuit child wanders away from his village, fascinated by a wild bird. His father follow his trail, dertermined to find him before he gets lost on the ice floe.
6 minutes)
The title of the short film makes us of unusual font. This is reminiscent of the Inuikitut syllabary.
QUESTIONS FOR YOUNG VIEWERS
- Where is this short film set? How can you tell?
- Describe how the boy’s (Nanuk’s) clothing differs from the clothing of his father. What does this contrast represent?
- There is no dialogue throughout this story, yet the viewer understands something of Nanuk’s character through his body language and facial expressions. What sort of character is Nanuk?
- Describe how the father’s body language and facial expressions contrast with those of his son.
- The lighting outside is blue and bright. Describe the lighting and atmosphere inside the hut.
- The Tuurngait is a creature in Inuit mythology, but the Wikipedia entry points out that this form of ‘mythology’ is slightly different from other definitions. Explain in your own words.
- Why does Nanuk follow the bird?
- In fantasy fiction there is often a ‘portal’, in which the main character enters a magical realm. In this case the portal is hidden under the ice floe, accessed via a break in the ice. Think of other fantasy stories you have read. What else is used as a ‘portal’?
- As Nanuk enters the reflective icy cave, the viewer sees a kaleidoscopic effect, with multiple birds and multiple Nanuks. What is the significance of this?
- Inside the cave, what kind of sound effects are used to portray an eerie environment?
- The cave becomes scarier and scarier. How has the color scheme changed?
- In the spooky under-ice-floe world, animals are gigantic. In fantasy, size is often exaggerated as a technique. What is the effect of this technique? And can you think of any other stories in which large animals featured?
- At the end, the huge bear morphs into an image of the father. Why?
