A lifetime of bringing forth Inuit culture onto the silver screen was recognized on March 9, when Nunavut commissioner Eva Aariak awarded Iglulik filmmaker Dr. Zacharias Kunuk with the 2022 Commissioners Art Award. The award also came with a cash prize of $10,000.

Most well-known for directing the Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, the first feature film spoken entirely in Inuktitut, Kunuk remained active on the Nunavut film scene, following up his first movie with The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, a second feature released in 2006.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 not just me, I have a whole team working with me,SA国际影视传媒� said Kunuk, highlighting his crew, SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 just there, ISA国际影视传媒檓 the director and just the guy who comes out with these ideas.SA国际影视传媒�

Kunuk got his filmmaking career started with the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation interviewing Elders, when he encountered a knowledge gap facing him in the process.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen we go to the editing table thereSA国际影视传媒檚 no footage of what theySA国际影视传媒檙e talking about, that drove me to recreate the past and I love doing that,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e try to be authentic, we try to use old (Inuktitut) words.SA国际影视传媒�

After all these years, Zacharias is still most well-known for Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, which according to him was to celebrate the creation of Nunavut.

SA国际影视传媒淣unavut was going to be carved out of the map and we wanted to come out with a film, which is why we did The Fast Runner. From there we never stopped,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

KunukSA国际影视传媒檚 current project is titled Wrong Husband.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey used to have arranged marriages, children would be taught this is your future husband or wife. The story ISA国际影视传媒檓 doing is, this girl whoSA国际影视传媒檚 been promised to this young man, who was out of the camp and married another.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 also using spirits in this film, the fog lady, the troll, the caribou spirit and wolf spirit. Playing with good spirits and evil spirits, itSA国际影视传媒檚 a part of filmmaking.SA国际影视传媒�

When passing on a message for younger filmmakers, Kunuk said to fight for your budgets because everyone else is doing the same thing.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a long process being a filmmaker, you have to build your name. In the film financing world thatSA国际影视传媒檚 how it is,SA国际影视传媒� said Kunuk.

SA国际影视传媒�(The) One slice of the pie you get, the other guy is not getting. We have to fight for the budgets and do the process. To create, to make reality, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 the fun part.SA国际影视传媒�

The preservation of Inuit culture for future generations is what keeps Zacharias going.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e just doing our job trying to preserve our culture because a hundred years from now theySA国际影视传媒檒l study these films.SA国际影视传媒�