Qallunaat! Why White People Are Funny
For centuries Inuit have been studying white people. Now, revealed for the first time, the results of their research into one of the most perplexing societies on earth.
Qallunaat! Why White People are Funny is an irreverent look at Western Civilization through Inuit eyes. Inspired by the satirical essays of Zebedee Nungak, the film turns the tables on generations of anthropologists, teachers, adventurers and administrators who went North to pursue their Arctic Dreams.
Now it’s their turn to be poked, prodded, examined and explained. A new generation of Inuit is ready to take on the Qalllunaat at their own game. Grounded in their own traditions but educated in the South, they have a unique perspective on the culture that has come to dominate the planet. And they are not afraid to speak their minds.
Qallunaat! Why White People are Funny is an uproarious trip through the cultural looking glass.
Directors
Mark Sandiford
Mark Sandiford studied filmmaking at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts School of Art and Design and earned a B.A. in Psychology at McGill University. He produced and directed instructional television programs for McGill during the late seventies.
In 1982 Mark went to Canada's arctic to work as a trainer/producer for Taqramiut Nipingat and the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation. In 1992 he became executive producer of Focus North, CBC North's flagship current affairs series. In 1998 Mark became senior produce of Compass, CBC's evening news program in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Mark established Sandiford Productions in 2001. He wrote, produced and directed First Scientists an hour-long and fast-paced introductory documentary to the breadth and depth of Native Canadian science and technology for Explorations Productions Inc. It is currently being distributed by Canada's leading educational media distributor, Magic Lantern.