Opera North Plays Atanarjuat

Opera North, England will play 'The Idea of North: Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner' on Saturday, 31st Oct 2009.

An international sensation on its release in 2001, Atanarjuat is the epic account of an 11th Century Inuit blood feud and the first feature made in the Inuktitut language.

Director Zacharias Kunuk sets the emotional intensity of a family drama against the elemental landscapes 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle and uses his experience in documentary to create an authentic snapshot of Inuit culture.

The story is based on a historical legend. Evil in the form of a mysterious stranger enters the small community of nomadic Inuit and upsets its balance and spirit of cooperation.

The murder of the camp leader and birth of two strong sons from the new leader sparks the battles of revenge and jealousy which end in tragedy and with a miraculous escape. -- www.operanorth.co.uk