Zacharias Kunuk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zacharias Kunuk
ᓴᖅᑲᓕᐊᓯ ᑯᓄᒃ
Zacharias Kunuk in 2025, during a masterclass at San Marcos.
Born	Kifutikajuk Taqaq Nujatut Attafutaluk Quatuk (1957-11-27) November 27, 1957 (age 67) Kapuiviit, Nunavut, Canada
Education	Federal Day School
Occupation	Producer, director
Years active	1995–present
Employer	Isuma Productions, Igloolik
Known for	Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
Partner(s)	Lydia Anguratsiq
Children	5
Parent(s)	Enuki, Vivian

Zacharias Kunuk (Inuktitut: ᓴᖅᑲᓕᐊᓯ ᑯᓄᒃ, born November 27, 1957) is a famous Canadian Inuk filmmaker. He is known for directing and producing movies, especially Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner. This movie was special because it was the first Canadian film made entirely in the Inuktitut language, with all actors being Indigenous.

He is also the president and co-founder of Igloolik Isuma Productions. This was Canada's first movie company started by Inuit people. He started it with Paul Qulitalik, Paul Apak Angilirq, and Norman Cohn. Norman was the only team member who was not Inuk. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001) was even named the greatest Canadian film of all time in a 2015 poll by the Toronto International Film Festival.

Early Life and Education

Zacharias Kunuk was born in Kapuiviit (Jens Munk Island) in Nunavut, Canada. This area was part of the Northwest Territories at the time. In 1966, he went to school in Igloolik.

While in school, he started carving and selling soapstone sculptures. He used the money he earned to buy tickets to watch movies. As he got better at carving, he was able to buy cameras. He used these cameras to take pictures of Inuit hunting scenes. In 1981, he learned about video cameras and bought some basic equipment. He taught himself how to make his own movies.

Filmmaking Career

In 2002, Zacharias Kunuk was given a special honor. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of the highest awards a Canadian can receive.

His second major film was The Journals of Knud Rasmussen. He co-wrote and co-directed this movie with Norman Cohn. It was made with help from Denmark. The film first showed on September 7, 2006, at the Toronto International Film Festival.

In June 2007, Zacharias Kunuk filmed a real-life event. He recorded the rescue of his father, Enoki Kunuk. His father had been lost for 27 days in the Arctic tundra.

Kunuk also helped start the Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change Project. He worked on this with Ian Mauro from the University of Victoria. The project's goal is to gather information from Inuit elders. This information is used to make films about how climate change affects Inuit culture and the environment. For example, they sent a video to the United Nations for a big meeting about climate change in 2009.

In April 2011, Kunuk began working on a new project. He teamed up with Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond. Their project was about a conflict between the Cree and Inuit people that happened in the 1700s. This conflict lasted for almost a century.

In July 2017, Kunuk was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is the group that gives out the Oscar awards. In March 2019, he was also made a member of the Order of Nunavut.

Films and TV Shows

Here are some of the feature films and television projects Zacharias Kunuk has worked on:

• Nunavut: Our Land - 1995, director and writer of a TV series
• Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner - 2001, director, producer, writer, and editor
• Kunuk Family Reunion - 2004, director and producer of a TV documentary
• Weird ... and Snowshoes: A Trek Through Canadian Cinematic Psyche - 2004, appeared in a TV documentary
• The Journals of Knud Rasmussen - 2006, director, producer, and art director
• Before Tomorrow (Le Jour avant le lendemain) - 2008, executive producer
• Tungijuq - 2009, executive producer of a short film
• Home - 2011, director and writer of a short film
• Sirmilik - 2011, director of a documentary
• Searchers (Maliglutit) - 2016
• Edge of the Knife - 2018, executive producer
• Kivitoo: What They Thought of Us - 2018
• One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk - 2019
• Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman's Apprentice - 2021
• Wrong Husband (Uiksaringitara) - 2025

Awards and Recognition

Zacharias Kunuk and his films have won many awards:

Books

• Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman's Apprentice (2021)

See also

• Indigenous Canadian personalities