Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

New York - Lot 47 Films and Igloolik Isuma Productions are extremely proud to announce the U.S. Premiere engagements of the first dramtic film ever made by an Inuit filmmaker in the native language of Inuktitut, the majestic, award-winning epic motion picture THE FAST RUNNER.

A.O. Scott of the New York Times wrote, "THE FAST RUNNER is a masterpiece. It is, by any standard, an extraordinary film, a work of narrative sweep and visual beauty that honors the history of the art form even as it extends its perspective. THE FAST RUNNER also abounds with humor and sensuality. The combination of dramatic realism and archaic grandeur is irresistibly powerful. THE FAST RUNNER includes some unforgettable sequences. The most astonishing scene has already become something of a classic, a word that will quickly be bestowed on the film as a whole."

Inuit storytelling stands as one of the world's oldest art forms. For 4,000 years the Inuit have passed all their knowledge, values, philosophy and culture from generation to generation without a written language. To keep listeners spellbound, the stories are naturally entertaining and suspenseful, carrying complex cultural information hidden within multiple layers of meaning. The first feature film ever made in the Inuit language, THE FAST RUNNER is part of this continuous stream of oral history. It is also a tribute to the immense natural beauty of the Arctic, capturing the vast expanse of sky, unique arctic light and the sprawling sea ice, tundra and rocky flatlands with austere, evocative beauty.

Atanarjuat, the Fast Runner, finds himself in love with the lovely Atuat. While she loves him in return, unfortunately, she has been promised to Oki, the boastful and bullying son of the camp leader. When Atanarjuat forces the issue, he violates the carefully observed customs of the community. In a timeless story, Oki sets out to gain revenge. For countless generations, Igloolik elders have kept the legend of Atanarjuat alive to teach young Inuit the dangers of setting personal desire above the needs of the group. It carries lessons for all of us.

THE FAST RUNNER will open throughout the United States (including Alaska) between June and September. For information about when it will arrive at a theatre near you please visit the Lot 47 web site (lot47.com) and click on the "Playdates" section of THE FAST RUNNER page. A sampling of the extraordinary early reviews for THE FAST RUNNER follows.

"The Fast Runner is a masterpiece. It is, by any standard, an extraordinary film, a work of narrative sweep and visual beauty that honors the history of the art form even as it extends its perspective. The Fast Runner also abounds with humor and sensuality. The combination of dramatic realism and archaic grandeur is irresistibly powerful. The Fast Runner includes some unforgettable sequences. The most astonishing scene has already become something of a classic, a word that will quickly be bestowed on the film as a whole." -A.O. Scott, The New York Times

"Breathtaking! Stunning! Mysterious, bawdy, emotionally intense, and replete with virtuoso throat singing, this movie is engrossing from first image to last, so devoid of stereotype and cosmic in its vision it could suggest the rebirth of cinema. As the arctic light and landscape beggar description, so the performances go beyond acting, and the production itself seems little short of miraculous." -J. Hoberman, Village Voice

"One of the most beautiful movies ever made. In Kunuk's masterpiece, there's barely a shot that doesn't radiate the divinity of life." -Graham Fuller, Interview Magazine

"Matching a myth of origins with the inception of a medium, Zacharias Kunuk suggests the possibility of cinematic rebirth. A film of spectacular landscapes and compelling storytelling." -Amy Taubin, Film Comment

"A major cinematic breakthrough. It has sweep and high drama. At its best, it suggests Nanook of the North done by a Kurosawa disciple." -Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

"One of the year's best films. A spectacularly beautiful and poetic morality tale about love, murder and revenge in the icy, snowy far north." -Steven Rosen, Denver Post

"An astonishing epic film." -Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"A mystical arctic gem." -Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

"An astonishing Inuit epic." -Nicole Keeter, Time Out New York

WINNER CAMERA D'OR - 2001 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL (UN CERTAIN REGARD)

WINNER BEST CANADIAN FEATURE - 2001 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

WINNER BEST PICTURE - 2001 SANTA FE FILM FESTIVAL

WINNER SEVEN GENIE NOMINATIONS (CANADIAN ACADEMY AWARDS)
       BEST PICTURE
       BEST DIRECTOR
       BEST SCREENPLAY
       BEST EDITING
       BEST COSTUME DESIGN
       BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
       BEST SOUND

"The film's exploration of a rarely depicted world is stunning." -Time Out New York

"Visually and thematically striking." -Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

"A romantic adventure whose landscapes are as exhilarating as its story. It enlarges our expectations of what film can be." -John Anderson, New York Newsday

"***** (Highest Rating.) Attempting to find cinematic comparisons for the remarkable Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) is - for the most part - futile. It has more in common with Beowulf, The Odyssey or Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart than anything ever before seen on the screen. It is an extraordinary debut not just for a director but for an entire culture. A feature film of epic proportions, like all classics, the tale is a universal one. The cinematography is superb, the landscapes austere, the music incredibly moving, the performances of the highest order. Kunuk directs with a sensuous eye, offering one of the greatest chase scenes in the movies one minute and one of the most erotic, realistic sex scenes the next. Atanarjuat will make you laugh, make you cry and keep you on the edge of your seat for nearly three hours. Isn't that what cinema was supposed to do all along?" -Chris Wiegand, Boxoffice Magazine

"Directed by Zacharias Kunuk, the sublimely beautiful, near three-hour film is not only dramatically gripping but, set against the backdrop of unique natural landscapes, visually awe-inspiring." -Mike Goodridge, Screen International