Atanarjuat The Fast Runner

People should start watching these movies so they will know how Inuit would live up North.. <3  btw this movie is awesome :P

Hello, Mr. or Ms. udu drum player. Surely your real name isn't anonymous. I take mouse to computer not in defense of the instrumentation I used for Atarnarjuat, but rather to straighten out a couple of errors in your eloquent and otherwise thought-provoking and indeed ultimately kind critique of what you refer to as the 'soundtrack' by which I presume you mean the 'music.'

As to the 'udu drums": no such instrument was used in the score. Indeed, although I am a professional percussionist myself and was raised partially in West Africa I don't actually play the udu.  The didgeridoo loops I used were played by an American musician who makes his own instruments in Colorado.  I do believe he has visited Australia, but the instruments and music are technically...well, non-Australian.  The Tuvan throat singers were from a CD licensed by the producers long before I came on strength, so I can't claim credit or blame for them.  The Shakuhachi, Udu and Tablas were nothing more exotic than samples from my Kurzweil sample library. 

Your comment that 'luckily' the diegetic music was correct is itself both correct and incorrect.  The music performed correctly in the film is played and sung by practitioners of these crafts, so 'luck' had no part to play in it.  Here, though, is my principal response to your critque:  you are clearly correct in identifying the cultural implications of my choices of 'sound' for the score, but only if these choices are taken lterally.  Celtic music is often played on non Celtic instruments. Is that to say that Donal Lunny of the Bothy Band is to be upbraided for asking a Greek instrument to play Irish music?  Were tablas, udus and shakuhachi flutes put on earth for the playing solely of Indian, Nigerian or Japanese music?  Of course not.  If we allow ourselves to remain in cultural lock-step with the literal-minded interpreters of music or indeed of any sound at all, are we not putting useless limits on our imaginations and creativity?  I have to thank you sincerely, however, for the one accusation you did not level at me: that of composing a very Celtic sounding viola theme for the reuniting of Atuat and Atanarjuat towards the end of the film.  Thereby hangs a tale.  If you write to me off-list (ccrilly [at] gmail [dot] com) I would be happy to relate it to you.  Simply put, I faced the challenge of scoring a complex film while avoiding the pitfalls of possible cultural misappropriation if I were to attempt to 'orchesrate' purely Inuit sounds/instruments.  I resolved therefore to avoid any semblance of composing Inuit music and stuck to as abstract, not to mention deliberately pan (if not non) cultural music or sound as I could manage.  Once we permit ourselves to listen critically to sound (musical or otherwise) we find a way to allow these sounds to metamorphose across cultural or other literal lines.  They cease to be syntactically stuck in one meaning or another and are available (as are we) to a more flexible, perhaps purer, sound.  See you in the movies.  Chris Crilly, Havelock QC.

This movie is visually a great cultural insight for most people around the world, seeing the Inuit culture, its people and how they live. But tragically, the soundtrack is totally out of place with didgeridoos from Australia, Tuvan throat singing, udu-drums from Africa, Shakuhachi flute from Japan and Tablas from India. The soundtrack is really good though, but it really does fool the viewer of the real music in Inuit culture. Luckily the diegetic music of the movie is correct with three correct types of music played which is the inuit songs, Quilaut drum and Kattajaq throat singing. But generally I think a movie like Atanarjuat where the culture of the Inuit people is shown for the first time in a movie, finally giving people around the world an insight to their culture - should have used more correct ethnic instruments. Instead film composer Chris Crilly just put in ethnic music from almost all around the world just because it sounds exotic and tribal. And don't get me wrong, I play ethnic instruments such as the udu drum myself, but using it in this movie is really a great loss for the quality of the movie as a documentation of the Inuit culture.

I watched this movie for a class, liked it very much

 does anyone know if this was based on a true story and if so, how long ago?

hi ! there is an small girl who is starting to make some string figures , it was an deception that the camera gets away from it not displaying what was an spontaneous string figure of great autenticy ... please pay more atention to what may be inuit greatest abstract art form ... string figuring still holds many secrets please share them with us please please !!!

For those who said ploddingly edited too long, get over yourselves. This is the real deal, you want entertainment in a nice little package go to Hollyrock.

Paul S; USA

  This film was amazing...thank you so much for making it!  It made me feel closer to my own Alutiiq people; even though our tribes are different, there are many similarities in how our ancestors lived.  I lved the story, and the dedication put into making it truly authentic!  Thank you again.  

One of the very best films I've ever seen in my 47 years of living. Amazing how all the familiar vast complexities of life and relationships unfold and visit every remote

corner of human civilization. Careful what part you play when life's dramas start to unfold with family,love & community. We are more alike than we are different. The story of  power, birthrights, manipulation and heroism in this movie remind of the panoramic storytelling of Shakespear.The whole panalopy of life and all of it's major players and parts are masterfully

recounted, exposed and told by the Inuit Nation.A  breathtaking, beautiful and timeless tale for and about us all. Thank you. 

I haven't been home in winter in the north for a while now: this film makes me miss the sound the snow makes underfoot when it is properly cold. There is almost a hollow sound to it, quite loud when you crunch along in otherwise silence.

Since other people have been suggesting other movies to watch, I will too: Seven Songs from the Tundra, a Russian film from 2000, and Caravan, which I think is a French production but takes place in the Himalayas. Might be easier to find than 7 songs! Which is the first movie ever in the Nenets language by the way. It does suffer in parts from having completely inexperienced actors: Caravan has more "production values" even if it also has local actors rather than trained ones. In some ways 7 Songs... is more interesting, as the name suggests it deals with several stories so you get a wider view of the lives of the Nenets.

this is a greattttt movieee i loveeee it very much.the soundd oooh i love the sounds in this movie.

Simply amazing. Speechless. Thank you

Well done... I really loved this...filmography and story were wonderful... acting was superb. True to life and the arctic.

I have always been facinated with the arctic.  The setting for this film was beautiful.  Besides the scenery, the story was amazing & the acting was excellent, especially considering that the actors are unknow & lack extensive (any?) theater/drama training.  I disagree with anybody who thinks the acting was bad.  For what this film maker was trying to accomplish, the mood he was tring to capture, & story he was attempting to convey, even with an all star cast & unlimited budget, I doubt Hollywood could get the same realistic feeing.

Wow, what else can I say. This is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time.  I have suffered through too many mgm and imagine movies - the market is saturated with empty stories of nothing.  To have the fast runner come out in a time as now, is blessing!!

The story is unlike anything you've heard or read. The setting couldn't be better; this film takes you away to claustrophobic igloos and the isolated Arctic wilderness. The characters are well made, with genuine good hearted people and vengeful ones. The acting, however, is horrible. There's no getting around that!