Okay, obscure movie buffs, who has seen "The Fast Runner"?

[scarletwoman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atanarjuat:_The_Fast_Runner

It was the first feature film ever to be written, directed and acted entirely in Inuktitut. Set in the ancient past, the film retells an Inuit legend passed down through centuries of oral tradition.

The film is set in Igloolik ("place of houses&quot in the Eastern Arctic wilderness at the dawn of the first millennium.

This is an amazing, complex, visually stunning movie. To watch it, you must be willing to leave your "normal" reality aside, and allow yourself to be absorbed into a completely different culture.

This movie can be confusing, painfully slow-moving, and challenging on a number of levels. On the other hand, it's an incredibly rewarding experience - it left me absolutely awestruck.

[Little_Wing]

1. Truly Breathtaking

Thanks for the heads-up! I need to watch this again. It was a complete immersion in an unfamiliar culture.

[scarletwoman]

2. Oh wow! I'm so delighted that someone else has seen this!

Yes, "complete immersion in an unfamiliar culture" is exactly right. And it's a truly rewarding immersion if you're willing to give in to it.

I found out about this movie by doing a search for movies with Northern themes a few years ago - I had never heard of it. I was looking for something different and unusual, and this certainly was!

Anyway, I ordered the DVD as soon as I came across it, and I found it absolutely haunting. Shortly afterward, we had a family gathering with my then 84-year-old dad and I brought the DVD along and we all watched it together - my dad, my sisters and their partners, and my youngest son. Everyone was just blown away.

I'm so grateful that I found this by chance, it's such a rich experience.

[Paladin]

3. Great movie!

It's like three Shakespearian plays slammed together in a stunningly beautiful arctic setting. Highly recommended.

[scarletwoman]

4. That's a wonderful way of putting it!

three Shakespearian plays slammed together

I like that.

And, yes, that arctic setting - I could watch it just for scenery alone.

I loved learning how people lived in that sort of environment. Just an amazing film, all the way around.