Thursday Films: Nanook of the North (1922)

Content warning: This 1922 film is a product of the racial prejudices of its time and includes stereotypical depictions of Inuit culture. 

Robert Flaherty made this silent film of Inuit life following six years of exploring the Arctic for railway and mineral potential, at the behest of Sir William Mackenzie. It features the Inuit of the region and their traditional way of life. The Criterion Collection credits this documentary with several cinematic milestones, such as introducing the early tenets of anthropological filmmaking and a new interest in “real” life. However, the film has also received criticism for the dubious nature of its documentary storytelling and its use of stereotypical imagery to depict its Inuit subjects. The film’s legacy continues to be debated a hundred years after its initial release.