Review of Nanook of the North (1922) by Karem C — 19 Apr 2016

Robert Flaherty was just fooling around with a camera taking images of the Eskimos that lived around the Hudson Bay in Arctic Canada, he didn't know much about film at the time. He had taken a three week course on cinematography in Rochester, New York, before his third expedition in 1913. This footage was met with enthusiasm but ultimately lost because of a fire. He reshot the footage, but decided to focus the film on one person and his family's struggle to survive in such harsh conditions. That's how "Nanook of the North" was created.

This film is often considered the first documentary, but much has been said about the staging of events in the film. Regardless of any staging, it's still a remarkable film that shows just how adaptable humans are to any climate or terrain. At times when they are starving, Nanook finds a way to eat and survive.