1970s Inuit Stop-Motion Animation Reels Screened for First Time After Over 50 Years

Stop-motion animation reels produced in the 1970s by Inuit filmmakers in Kinngait, Nunavut, are being screened across the region for the first time in over 50 years. The reels were created during an animation workshop organized by the National Film Board of Canada, with support from the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs and the government of the Northwest Territories.

These materials include sand-based animations and other experimental techniques.

The workshop, known as Sikusilarmiut, took place in 1972. Some of the resulting reels were featured in the 18-minute film 'Animation from Cape Dorset,' which was released in 1973 and received an award at Animafest Zagreb. That film gained international attention, but many additional reels were stored and not shown to wider audiences.

Last summer, the National Film Board of Canada located the previously unscreened reels, labeled 'Arctic Workshop Reel 1,' 'Arctic Workshop Reel 2,' and 'Arctic Workshop Reel 3.

' The organization digitized the materials, which total more than 50 minutes and were produced by 12 different filmmakers. This is nearly three times the number of reels included in the original 1973 public screening. The full set of reels provides a more comprehensive view of the workshop's output compared to the earlier film.

A 1975 documentary titled 'Sikusilarmiut' documented the workshop activities. The newly available reels feature various animation techniques developed during the sessions.

The reels were screened to a public audience for the first time this week in Iqaluit at the Aulajut Nunavut International Film Festival.

Additional screenings are scheduled in Kinngait next week and in Igloolik the following week. The materials are also accessible on the National Film Board of Canada's website for online viewing. ' These pieces were created using techniques available at the time, including on-location filming in Kinngait.

The reels reflect artistic expressions from the era and are now preserved for broader access.