Everyday Activist - Angry Inuk (CIFF 2016)

Posted on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 at 02:00 PM

Angry Inuk (CIFF 2016)

Movie Review by Everyday Activist X CalgaryMovies.com

After watching Angry Inuk, I became an angry Canadian. Before watching this film, I didn’t have an opinion on the northern seal hunts and now I have a definite opinion on certain animal rights and environmental groups, some of which were founded by Canadians, *cough* Green Peace *cough* Sea Shepherd. These groups among others seem to feel that hunting a non-endangered species is problematic for the planet and quite advantageous to their pocket books. Paul Watson says so himself in a 1978 interview that director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril found on YouTube. What upsets me even more is that none of these groups would even talk to her. Animal rights protesters would prefer to cancel their protests rather than address the Inuit concerns brought up by their counter protest.

I know a bit about the critical value of seal meat to Inuit health from listening to lectures given by Inuit. What wasn’t mentioned in the film is that in order to stay warm up there, people need to eat the seal meat, because it has plenty of iron. Eating the raw meat and drinking seal blood, gives them access to vitamin C which further helps iron absorption and keeps them from freezing. When Inuit move away from their traditional food sources they become sick with anemia and develop diabetes. Selling seal skins helps the Inuit pay for gas and snow machines to go hunting so that they can maintain good health and their traditional ways of eating and living. When price of seal pelts drop people starve to death.

The movie spends a lot of time talking about the bans on seal products to the European market. The Inuit spread a positive message by educating people and politicians about the value of commercial seal hunting to them and their culture that few people understand. High price for seal pelts means a higher standard of living for the Inuit. Without that source of income from a renewable resource, aboriginal groups will be forced into exploiting non-renewable resources such as oil and gas as well as minerals. Seismic testing for oil off shore oil exploration is animal cruelty at its worst. Marine mammals lose their hearing and become disoriented as the sound waves through water are amplified. The seals will die anyway if this becomes an accepted practice.

Documentary film is the best way to raise awareness about various issues, including seal hunting. Angry Inuk has already received awards, which will help broadcast its message even further. Hopefully people will question animal rights groups and their motives in addition to supporting the Inuit in their fight to join global commerce as a way to sustain their lives and culture. The next screening of Angry Inuk at CIFF will be Saturday Oct 1, 4:45 pm At Cineplex Eau Claire 4. If you can’t make it then, watch for it at other Calgary festivals coming up later in the year. 

Calgary Showtimes: 17th Calgary International Film Festival 2016 > | Angry Inuk >