How to Build an Igloo

A demonstration of igloo-building in Canada's Far North, showing how the site is selected and how blocks of snow are used to make a snug shelter in only an hour and a half. As the camera follows each stage, the commentary explains the process.

In the spirit of the 1949 NFB classic How to Build an Igloo, this film records Dean Ittuksarjuat as he constructs the traditional Inuit home. From the first cut of the snow knife, to the carving of the entrance after the last block of snow has been placed on the roof, this is an inside-and-out look at the entire fascinating process.

Lumaajuuq is a tragic and twisted story about the dangers of revenge. A cruel mother mistreats her son, feeding him dog meat and forcing him to sleep in the cold. A loon, who tells the boy that his mother blinded him, helps the child regain his eyesight. Then the boy seeks revenge, releasing his mother's lifeline as she harpoons a whale and watching her drown. As the boy's sister cries over the fate of their mother, the boy realizes the futility of seeking vengeance. Alethea Arnaquq-Baril uses graceful digital animation to retell this story, based on a portion of the epic Inuit legend "The Blind Boy and the Loon.".