A naked man running for his life across the ice, his hair flying ... Paul Apak Angilirq and Zacharias Kunuk grew up hearing the incredible legend of Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner. So, when they became filmmakers, the project they were most eager to tackle was the story of love, murder, revenge and shamanism that had haunted them since childhood.

And tackle it they did. Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner, the first feature film scripted in the Inuktitut language and made almost entirely by Inuit filmmakers and actors, has become a legend of its own, even taking the Caméra d'Or prize for best first feature at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.

This book presents the entire screenplay of Atanarjuat in a dual-language edition (in both Inuktitut syllabics and English), and contextualizes it with interviews with the filmmakers, detailed explorations of the legend of Atanarjuat and of the Inuit culture and large full-colour photos with detailed captions throughout. It is, simultaneously, a document of a spectacular film and an incredible culture.

Paul Apak Angilirq was vice-president and co-founder of Isuma. Apak began his television career in 1978 as a trainee in the Inukshuk Project, Canada`s first government initiative to train indigenous TV producers in remote Aboriginal communities. When Inuit Broadcasting Corporation was created in 1981 Apak became one of IBC`s first producers. In 1992 IBC honoured Apak with a Special Recognition Award for his career contribution to the network as its most distinguished producer and first Inuk Trainer. Apak wrote the original story and Inuktitut screenplay for Atanarjuat based on interviews with local elders. He passed away from cancer in December 1998 before the film was completed.

Paul Apak Angilirq's profile page