The Journals of Knud Rasmussen Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn Canada, Drama, 2006 112 min., Digital Video, Color Inuktitut with English subtitles Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum The Spirit of Texas Theater Wednesday, April 25, 7 PM Mature Audiences

The last great shaman of the Inuit Avva and his beautiful and headstrong daughter Apak live on the verge of change in 1922. As the father is trying to resist encroachments upon his family and culture, a group of Danish scientists arrive to study and record his way of life. Explorer/adventurer Knud Rasmussen pays Avva a visit, accompanied by two fellow Danes: trader Peter Freuchen and anthropologist Therkel Mathiassen. Rasmussen hears and records Avva’s life story and that of his wife Orulu. Their son, Natar, impulsively agrees to guide Freuchen and Mathiassen north to Iglulik. After a celebration, Rasmussen leaves to head west while Avva, facing strong headwinds, sets out with his family and guests en route for home. His beautiful daughter, Apak, has troubling dreams about the road ahead. Based on the real story of the last great Iglulik shaman, Avva, recorded by the Danish adventurer Knud Rasmussen on his 5th Thule Expedition across the Canadian Arctic in 1922.

Zacharias Kunuk is a Canadian Inuit producer and director most noted for his film Atanarjuat, the first Canadian dramatic feature film produced completely in Inuktitut. He is the co-founding president of Igloolik Isuma Productions, Canada’s first independent Inuit production company. Producer: Norman Cohn, Zacharias Kunuk, Vibeke Vogel, Elise Lund Larsen Production Company: Kunuk Cohn Productions, Igloolik Isuma Productions, Barok Film

Living since 1985 both in Igloolik and Montreal, Cohn developed with Zacharias Kunuk, elder Pauloosie Qulitalik and the late Paul Apak, Isuma’s signature style of “re-lived” cultural drama, combining the authenticity of modern video with the ancient art of Inuit storytelling. Before coming to Igloolik Cohn was a widely exhibited video artist. The solo exhibition, Norman Cohn: Portraits, opened in 1983 at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario, National Gallery of Canada, Vancouver Art Gallery and other Canadian museums, and Cohn’s 1987 experimental feature documentary “Quartet for Deafblind” was selected for Dokumenta 7. Winner of a 1990 Guggenheim Fellowship and numerous Canada Council Awards, Cohn was co-winner with Kunuk of the 1994 Bell Canada Award for Outstanding Achievement in Video Art.

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Screenwriter: Norman Cohn, Zacharias Kunuk

Cinematographer: Norman Cohn

Editing: Norman Cohn, Cathrine Ambus,

Felix Lajeunesse

Cast: Leah Angutimarik, Pakak Innukshuk, Neeve Irngaut, Uttak Natar Ungalaaq, Samuelie Ammaq, Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq, Catharine Alaralak, Abraham Ulayuruluk, Tommy Uttak, Apayata Kotierk, Jens Jørn Spottag, Kim Bodnia, Jakob Cedergren