Susan Aglukark: Breaths

“The North is the place where I feel I’m completely myself.” In this evocative documentary short, Inuit singer-songwriter and humanitarian Susan Aglukark weaves together stories of artistry, family, and belonging as she explores the complex cultural shifts of the last 50 years of Inuit life. Turning her lens on the turbulence of colonial transition, director Nyla Innuksuk examines the forces that shaped Aglukark’s voice and how that voice is now being translated for a new generation of Inuit artists.
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2016 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
Directed by Nyla Innuksuk - 2016 | 4 min
Watch more free films on NFB.ca → bit.ly/YThpNFB
Subscribe to our newsletter → bit.ly/NFBnewsletter
Follow us on Facebook → bit.ly/ytfbNFB
Follow us on Instagram → bit.ly/2FdmRol
Follow us on Twitter → bit.ly/yttwNFB
Download our free iOS Apps → apple.co/2dbva4h
Download our free Android Apps → bit.ly/2dbvHmO

[@changeintheair9648]

I love(d) O Siem. It was so powerful and true. We are all family and we forget that. I also like the throat singing. ALL of us - no matter what part of the world we are in - are constantly told our way, history, traditions, values, religion, etc are passe. We have to undergo transition away from our heritage and values. HOW DARE THEY! "THEY" are the ones who need to go! That is why I loved O Siem. Because we all are family. We can celebrate our uniqueness, yet celebrate our difference. Terrible our cultures are being destroyed.

[@redsummergarden2600]

I first saw in the early 90s, singing for the Governor General. 20+ years later, Ms. Aglukark is singing as beautifully as ever. More importantly, she's still a giving, down- to-earth woman who makes me proud to be a fellow Canadian.🇨🇦

[@annemariehannaberry8289]

Susan! You are very talented. The next generation can learn so much from traditions and art. I like to watch different documentaries on the The First Nations and Inuit people. You are a very strong and courageous woman to go through what you did in your childhood. The Arts whether performing or creative God can use to help people to express ourselves. May God bless you. I love the white fur on your collar and cuffs . My favorite song by you is called "This Land Is Made For You And I".

[@spacepete2000]

She would make a great Governor General . I think it would mean a lot to the young indigenous women of Canada .

[@indigenousin-couragement9891]

Thank you for posting this!