AMKA - One with a Friendly Spirit

It has been over twenty years since Lonnie Dupre and John Hoelscher completed the first and only circumnavigation of Greenland; a 5000-mile journey all non-motorized by dog team and kayak.
In 2022 Dupre went back to Northwest Greenland to film, the Polar Inuit culture by traveling from village to village by dog team. Lonnie re-connected with his past Polar Inuit friends to find out how their culture has changed due to global warming over the last two decades.
The Polar Inuit and their sled dogs are unsung heroes of countless Arctic expeditions. Their ingenuity and innovation through trial and error and creative ways of improvising has always amazed Lonnie on past expeditions.
"The Polar Inuit people make it seem easy to live in a place, that otherwise appears inhospitable to us. Traditions that have been passed on for thousands of years. By dressing in furs and by forming a symbiosis with their sled dogs, they managed to live off the land, completely in tune with their environment of ice and snow. These people are not run by a clock; they do things when the time seems right".
Lonnie Dupre
Dupre was frightened at how drastically global warming has affected the land and culture. Permafrost melting is undermining the foundations of houses. Ice caps and glaciers have receded so much that new maps are required to identify the distorted coastline. Sea ice in the Inglefield Fjord that was once 7 feet thick in mid-winter is now 18 inches. At this current rate of melt, the fjord will be ice free in 7 t0 10 years. In the mountainous and ice cap terrain, the Inuit rely on sea ice to travel between villages and for hunting. Once gone, the Inuit will become land locked, held prisoners in their own villages unable to travel for 8 months out of the year.
AMKA, Inuktun word for ‘one with a friendly spirit’. This 40-minute film dives into the inner thoughts of the Inuit Hunters and Polar Explorers amidst change: their passions, the inseparable companionship with their sled dogs, the fragility of Greenland in the wake of global warming, and the humble people that carved out special lives in a land of snow and ice.
Through this documentary, we aim to introduce people to this little-known place of beauty in NW Greenland and make it dear in others' hearts too.
Produced by Lonnie Dupre
Directed and filmed by Eva Capozzola
Additional cinematography by Josefin Kuschela.
Supported by:
Rolex as part of its Perpetual Planet Initiative &
PrimaLoft - High Performance Sustainable Insulation

[@sas6045]

Such a beautiful and moving movie! Thank you so much for making it! 🙏

[@martinuso7446]

It's strange, when a dog is difficult, you love it even more. Their inner strength is beyond belief. I have three low content wolf dogs, and all I want from life is to be with them. Thanks so much for making the effort to make and share this movie. The dogs love your gentle soul. You are one of them.

[@katrinasomers687]

I am so with you on that. In love with my stubborn supersmart cheeky wolfdog - well swissXmalamute dog. I couldn't be angry or upset with her if I tried. She just makes all that go away. No human can do that. Not so far anyway.

[@nab626]

I am so fortunatw to have visited Greenland. A pristine treasure on this planet earth. People who have never experienced it with their own eyes cannot fathom nor understand the impact of climate change on this way of life that is so precious. These people ask nothing of the earth .

[@katrinasomers687]

Sad face

[@Wendy-bm3fl]

My older mare was a pain in the @$$ too!! She taught me how to run barrels.. She loved the snow & with her dog buddy Bixby we traveled miles..

[@jeremias.lindner]

What an amazing documentary. i have no words for this masterpiece.

[@katrinasomers687]

Ah nice that's what I should of said instead of the overshare of blaa blaa blaa whoops did it again. So true words don't do justice sometimes

[@nasqaq]

So beautiful, thank you. It’s amazing how similar our lifestyle even though we are in different parts of the world. This is the way of life for my people on St. Lawrence Island.

[@katrinasomers687]

Where is this? can we move there?

[@amiellenberg1037]

what an incredible story and doc. beautiful thank you

[@heathermtaylor7683]

A poignant film full of earth-ed wisdom. Humans and dogs living the raw-ness of being at the edge of the world, indissolubly linked in the freedom of life in all its vitality. To some degree I feel this same pulsating rhythm in my being when I walk through the forest, just me and Wylfen, the dog. Awesome, Lonnie. Thank you 🐾🐾.

[@katrinasomers687]

Think I'll watch it again now. If my emotional regulation is up for it.. probably not but oh well

[@Biscoth-biscit]

What a beautiful film.

[@jcadiez]

i love this film so much !!

[@katrinasomers687]

So so so much

[@catherinecummins2847]

Just brilliant!

[@funhogfundogs]

Incredible. Thanks for making this film and sharing. Thank you for this master piece.

[@TinaSere-e4n]

Such a masterpiece!!! Beautiful! Thank you! ❤

[@nalikkatsiaqsuersaq7479]

Nuanneq. 💙🙏👍💪

[@ClintZold]

Beautiful. Thank you so much for this film.

[@JANEMERCURY-p6z]

living in the Wild with Dogs....is whole new education....that when you see how smart....they are..

[@CapitaoJacque]

Incredibly beautiful film. Had tears in my eyes several times.

[@LuniaVojty]

Such beautiful film

[@ericohara2582]

I once sailed on a tall ship, it changed my life totally, moving myself and my family to a different way of life on the coast, 20 years on it was exactly the right thing to do, no regrets anywhere.... Watching this has triggered similar deep feelings, especially with the climate issues of today. I am the same age as Lonnie, it is time to think again. Thank you so much for showing this...thank you.

[@katrinasomers687]

Do you have room for more of us?

[@joyalways1179]

When I walk or run my daughters 2 huskies, you get the same feeling! Those dogs are incredible, they are smart and wild, and they love to move!

[@katrinasomers687]

Just in sync in calm motion. Sometimes I ask friends and people if they want to come for a run with us just for fun to see the look on their face. People are so predictable and boring.

[@katrinasomers687]

These tiny things I do to amuse myself

[@Senuawolf]

This is amazing

[@katrinasomers687]

This is what I have been craving and needing, my whole life.:( I only ever feel happy when I'm exploring outdoors with my dogs, in the OCEAN or in the darkness of night when all the people are gone to bed and it's quiet, forests, coastlines - anywhere i can GET AWAY FROM THE BORING people and lights and emptiness I feel on a daily basis just existing in a place where I don't belong and will never find happiness or anyone who understands me. Taking risks, being challenged and overcoming obstacles in an extreme environment with a team of dogs - mutual bond of love and trust, and real people that you also trust with great respect. I want to feel that feeling of HAPPINESS AND INNER PEACE BEFORE I DIE:( I am SO scared that I may not ever get that chance

[@LonnieDupre]

Hi Katrina, I feel this way at times. For me it's hard to see folks being complacent in their lives avoiding change, challenges and putting to much value in material things. You're on the right path and I'm sure you'll navigate the trail forward. Reach out anytime.

[@SleepyHighway-qh3cc]

I feel like this too! I explored and adventured with my legendary dogs until they passed....I've been struggling without them. I pray we will find our ways to live our dreams. 💪🙏

[@martinuso7446]

Stop searching, inner peace is in you and not to be found outside. Drop from your head into your heart (centre of chest). You are the creator itself and powerful beyond your wildest imagination. Gowithin.

[@katrinasomers687]

@@martinuso7446 tryinng

[@katrinasomers687]

@ I feel like no body else feels or understands my pain. I feel very disconnected from people all my life. It's exhausting and lonely

[@maco1713]

Amazing film and people.True and smart words...There's something in my heart,cause I've always loved cold and north polar landscape even I'm from Slovakia.But my youth was full of snowy winters.We all must to understand how important is safe our planet,traditions and cultures...thank you for this movie!

[@Rurik8118]

Sofus !!! The best Dog-Sled driver I know (: Hello from Canada 🇨🇦 Edit : Gutted to learn that Sofus is no longer with us :(. Makes the intro with him ever so poignant. Always the Hunter - 🌌 Beautiful Film 🎥 Thank you for sharing Lonnie 🌬️

[@katrinasomers687]

Hello from New Zealand 🐬

[@maureendrennan9328]

❤❤❤ It had me in tears, beautiful. ❤🎉

[@JoshuaJohnsonOutdoors]

A beautiful film, Mr Dupre.

[@nalikkatsiaqsuersaq7479]

Thank, you ❤

[@PeterDixon]

Thank you for making this ,so touching and true and real

[@adrianaguerrero5795]

Qué hermoso homenaje al cazador y a sus perros.

[@HillebergTentmaker]

Beautiful film.

[@KauaiBeeDoug]

I remember you from the late 80s thru Arliegh Jorgenson from Grand Marais when I lived there... I was one of his handlers...you have done many amazing things... didn't you have some dogs in Iron Will??? I worked the movie. You were always the Arctic guy... Congrats on a wonderfull life, Bee well

[@SleepyHighway-qh3cc]

That's my FAVORITE movie! I remember watching a documentary on its creation. Now I gotta go back and watch it again.

[@non_e_importante]

Very inspiring, great work guys.

[@WebetSocial]

Thank your for this wonderfull movie about the inuit way of life and think.

[@nalikkatsiaqsuersaq7479]

Nuanneq.🇬🇱

[@manuelwebe]

Beautiful & sad documentary. Sad because an amazing sustainable way of living is going to be extinct soon because of climate change 😢. Thanks for sharing

[@katrinasomers687]

Soon. But their legacy will hopefully live on. Dogs lives are so short that our hearts get broken so many times over. One lifetime of heartbreak is enough for me.

[@katrinasomers687]

😢

[@vladsirbu9538]

A masterpiece! ❤Thanks for your work! May I ask what happened to Sofus? 😢

[@Rurik8118]

😢

[@LonnieDupre]

Stomach illness

[@grietkimpe]

I was about to fall in love with sofus. What a beautiful human we need more people like him so much to learn from him. How to be human

[@katrinasomers687]

@ He is at peace now. I don't feel sad for him. He lived the life he wanted. So many people don't.

[@143thierry]

" What it means to me to travel with dogs is ... 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 " ... Thank You ... !

[@katrinasomers687]

Freedom is what every innocent life should have. Heart breaks every day but running with dogs helps dull the pain