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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 710

Nanook of the North

192279 minUnited StatesFrance
DocumentaryDrama
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs
78:03
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Robert J. Flaherty · Public domain

Synopsis

An Inuk man and his family travel through the Canadian Arctic, hunting, trading and building shelter. The film concentrates on the practical demands of finding food and maintaining a home in a difficult environment. Familiar daily tasks become extended dramatic episodes through Flaherty's close attention to physical work and the surrounding landscape.

Cast

DirectorsRobert J. Flaherty

Behind the scenes

Allakariallak performs under the name Nanook. Several situations were arranged or reconstructed, and the screen family was not simply a record of his household. The film combines documentary observation with staged storytelling, a distinction central to its later critical discussion.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

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