The best approach to bring indigenous tales to life is to animate them. That way, all that colour and texture which we recognise from their art can flow along with the narrative. And when it concerns a region few have visited, Arctic Song is the perfect companion to warm those nights. It’s one of two works that’s playing at Spark! Animation Festival this weekend in Vancouver, BC.
Inuit artist, storyteller, and co-director Germaine Arnattaujuq (Arnaktauyok) recounts some wonderful creation myths, and there’s three in this short anthology work. There’s the raven who brings daylight to the world, the giants who turn into mountains, and the animals that create shimmering constellations and northern lights. Some of it reminds me about what I learned about the Australian aborigines and their Jukurrpa legends. Their lore also speaks of spirit animals helping to shape the mortal lands, but where they live is in a nether-realm that’s a hop and skip away.
