The much buzzed-about top audience pick at this year's Hot Docs festival returns to reveal an important story of how Indigenous voices have been muffled by ostensibly progressive activism. A critical part of Inuit life, seal hunting has long been the target of animal rights campaigns, using as ammunition doe-eyed images of outrageously cute Whitecoat seals—which are already illegal to hunt. Now, a new generation of Inuit, armed with social media and their own sense of humour and justice, are challenging these groups and bringing their own voices into the conversation. Director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (who also joins us for a Curious Minds course on Canadian female filmmakers) fiercely and undeniably challenges outdated perceptions and presents the Inuit as a modern people in dire need of a sustainable economy.
Co-presented by imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.
Critical praise:
Winner—Audience Award, Vimeo On Demand Audience Award, Hot Docs 2016
Winner—Canadian Documentary Promotion Award, Hot Docs 2016