Amaqqut Nunaat : The Country of Wolves

This story is dark and pensive; wandering through vast landscapes that are both terrifying and alluring. They promise the hope of adventure and the fear of great loss and death. What seems like a small grouping of rocks on a nearby hill becomes immense, otherworldly boulders after a long day's journey. Giant, snow covered peaks hundreds of meters high, stretching beyond site, will vanish without a trace come summertime. In the far North, nothing is ever what it seems and such is the methodology behind creating Amaqqut Nunaat: The Country of Wolves.

Although the animation is entirely hand painted and illustrated, its inhabitants travel through the film with a natural and organic grace. Still paintings of Caribou, Wolf, or Man come to life and express themselves without the use of thousands of drawings. They do not look as though they were rigidly contorted and distorted by a computer, but pupeteered by a sensitive hand.

Ramon's art style suited this aesthetic; his work uses aggressive, hand drawn ink lines that are minimalist and clean—much like the land of the North. His drawings are combined with real paper textures, earthy water colour washes, and subtle lighting, creating a distinctively natural look.

This story is an ancient legend and the hand-made quality represents the physical aspect of telling a story. We chose this minimalist style as we felt it would engage a contemporary Northern audience but still leave a lot to the imagination, thus respecting the Inuit oral tradition. We want the film to be immersive with images and sound, but still require the viewer to creatively participate in the story experience.

The music and sound will be arranged using traditional Inuk instruments, throat singing, and digitally manipulated vocalizations performed by Alexis O'Hara. Her work mirrors the overall philosophy of the film's creation as she uses voice and real instruments and then alters them using analog and digital technology to create unique soundscapes.

Most of the Foley and ambient sound elements will be captured directly from the snowy landscapes outside of Iqaluit. Musician and performer Beatrice Deer will lend her voice talents to the narration. Staying true to its origins, the story will be told in North Baffin dialect with English and French subtitles.