Natar Ungalaaq
Natar Ungalaaq | |
|---|---|
 Ungalaaq in 2019 | |
| Born | 1959 (age 64–65) |
| Years active | 1991–present |
Natar Ungalaaq (Inuktitut syllabics: ᓇᑕᕐ ᐅᖓᓛᖅ, born 1959) is a Canadian Inuk actor, filmmaker and sculptor whose work is in many major collections of Inuit art. Before playing the lead roles in Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001) and The Necessities of Life (Ce qu'il faut pour vivre) (2008), Ungalaaq played major roles in other Canadian and American films, including Kabloonak (1995), Glory & Honor (1998) and Frostfire (1994). He is also a producer and director of the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation.
Ungalaaq was the carving buddy of director Zacharias Kunuk. With funds raised by selling their handmade work, they bought their first camera gear in 1981, and started a production company in an Inuit community that didn't even have a TV.
Natar is also a renowned carver. He began when he was 9 or 10 years old, using his grandfather's tools. His carving in white soapstone, "Sedna with a Hairbrush 1985", is featured in the National Gallery of Canada's collection.[1]
In 2016, he made his debut as a director, codirecting the film Searchers with Kunuk.[2]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Frost Fire (TV) | Inuit |
| Trial at Fortitude Bay | Tommy | |
| 1995 | Kabloonak | Mukpullu |
| 1998 | Glory & Honor (TV) | Ootah |
| 2001 | Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner | Atanarjuat |
| 2004 | Sleep Murder (TV) | Jimmy Tarniq |
| 2006 | The Journals of Knud Rasmussen | Nuqallaq |
| 2008 | The Necessities of Life (Ce qu'il faut pour vivre) | Tiivii |
| 2013 | Maïna | Tadio |
| 2016 | Iqaluit | Noah |
| 2018 | The Grizzlies | Pete |
Awards
[edit]Ungalaaq was awarded the Best Actor award at the American Indian Movie Awards[3] in 2002 for Atanarjuat.[4] He won the Genie Award for Best Actor at the 29th Genie Awards for his role in Ce qu'il faut pour vivre.[4][5] He also won the Jutra Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and the Best Actor award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for the same performance.[4] In September 2009, Ungalaaq was presented with an award of distinction by the Nunavut Film Development Corporation.[6] This award recognized Natar's body of work and his contribution to Nunavut's film community.[7] In 2016, Ungalaaq won Best Indigenous Language Production (2016) for "Maliglutit (Searchers)" at the ImagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Inuit Art Quartlery- Vol 8. No 3 Fall 1993- http://www.inuitart.org/pdf/IAQ%20Articles/Tools,%20Training,%20Quarrying/Interviews/V8N3_Interview_Natar%20Ungalaq%20talks%20about%20his%20art%20&%20his%20goals.pdf[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Nunavut directors head for the red carpet at TIFF". Nunatsiaq News, August 15, 2016.
- ^ American Indian Movie Awards
- ^ a b c "Natar Ungalaaq". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
- ^ Blair Gable. "Natar Ungalaaq was named best actor, for his role in The Necessities of Life". www.montrealgazette.com. Reuters. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
- ^ "Natar Ungalaaq: Achievements". Retrieved October 29, 2019.
- ^ Nunatsiaq News- http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article_print/7998/ Archived 2018-01-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "2016 Award Winners A — imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival". 2017-05-21. Archived from the original on 2017-05-21. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
External links
[edit]
- 1959 births
- 20th-century Canadian male actors
- 20th-century indigenous artists of the Americas
- 21st-century Canadian male actors
- 21st-century indigenous artists of the Americas
- Artists from Nunavut
- Best Actor Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners
- Best Actor Jutra and Iris Award winners
- Canadian male film actors
- Canadian male television actors
- Film directors from Nunavut
- Living people
- Inuit filmmakers
- Inuit from Nunavut
- Inuit from the Northwest Territories
- Inuit sculptors
- Inuit male actors
- Male actors from Nunavut
- People from Igloolik