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Arnait Video Productions facts for kids

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Arnait Video Productions (which means "Women's Video Workshop of Igloolik") is a group of Inuit women filmmakers. They work to share the important voices and stories of Inuit women with everyone in Canada. Arnait is connected to another film company called Isuma Productions.

The Story of Arnait Video Productions

Arnait was started in 1991 by Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Madeline Ivalu, Susan Avingaq, Mary Kunuk Iyyiraq, and Atuat Akkitirq. Its first name was Arnait Ikajurtigiit, which means "Women helping each other" in Inuktitut. The group focuses on showing the experiences of women and their communities in Nunavut.

Susan Avingaq explains that Arnait is "a women's video workshop [that] can help people communicate with each other. That can be useful. It can make them understand." She adds that "Our stories are useful and unforgettable."

Films and Projects by Arnait

Just like Isuma, Arnait creates many different types of films. They make interviews, short videos about traditional activities, TV shows, longer documentaries, and story-based movies.

Major Films and Awards

Their first story-based movie was Before Tomorrow (Le Jour avant le lendemain). It was based on a book by Danish writer Jørn Riel. The film first showed in Igloolik in 2008, where the community that helped make it could see it.

Before Tomorrow was nominated for nine Genie Awards, which are big Canadian film awards. These nominations included Best Picture and Best Director. It also won four Jutra Awards, including Best Picture.

Another film, Uvanga, first showed at the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in September 2013. It then traveled to film festivals around the world, like the Berlinale. It was released in Canadian movie theaters in the summer of 2014.

In 2014, Arnait began making Sol, which is a documentary film. This film later won the top prize for Best Canadian Feature at the RIDM Montreal International Documentary Festival. It was also chosen as one of Canada's Top Ten feature films of 2014 by a group of filmmakers.

Short Films

  • Ningiura (Grandmother)
  • Qulliq
  • Attagutaaluk Starvation
  • Piujuq
  • Angutautaq

Feature Films

  • Anaana (Mother)
  • Unakuluk (Dear Little One)
  • Before Tomorrow (Le Jour avant le lendemain), 2008
  • Uvanga, 2013
  • Sol, 2014
  • Tia and Piujuq, 2018
  • Restless River, 2019
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