Village at the End of the World

Co-director Sarah Gavron and David Katznelson's compelling movie follows the 59 residents of the Greenland fishing village of Niaqornat who are striving to prevent their own ecological and economic extinction. The focus falls on four quirky individuals: Lars, a rap-loving Manchester United fan searching for love on Facebook; his estranged father Karl, a hunter who wants to reopen the local fish factory as a co-operative; Ilannguaq, an outsider who met his wife online and is now responsible for the community's sewage and garbage; and 76-year-old Ane, who recalls the old shamanic ways and the times when artificial light came from burning whale blubber. One scene sees the arrival of cruise-ship passengers hoping to witness traditional Inuit crafts, culture and cuisine. But Gavron's film is no patronising or stage-managed throwback to Robert Flaherty's Nanook of the North (1922), it's a superbly photographed study of a community harnessing tradition and progress to bring hope and prosperity.