A young father teaches his son about the value of shared adventures, exploration and his ancestral Inuit heritage.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Matthew Hood

Watch My Irnik here:

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

We wanted to show the intimate and tender relationship between a father and son and the love that is shared between them. Unfortunately, much of the news we read about from the north focuses on the negative, we wanted to show something positive.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

You should watch it because you will likely see a slice of life in Arctic Canada that you have not seen before.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

There are universal themes of family, adventure, exploration, that anyone can relate to.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

The film initially was just going to be about exploration in the north but once we arrived up there and saw the close relationship between Conor and his son Callum, we knew that that was the real story to be told. We then felt it was fitting to write the script from Conor’s point of view, sort of a letter he is writing to Callum for him to read when he is older.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

So far it has all been very positive and encouraging. There have been a lot of questions from viewers about life in the north and the Inuit culture, which is what we want. We want people to get interested in these topics beyond our film.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

No it has all been very supportive.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

We would like to attract viewers to come and view the film at upcoming festivals, for distributors to help with the next chapter and get the film on to TV and the web. We are looking to try and get it into the education system as well, for elementary and high school kids both in Canada and abroad.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

The film is towards the beginning of its festival run, with 8 confirmed acceptances already. We are looking to sell the film afterwards, so we are looking for good sales agents/distributors.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

Ideally for people to learn something about life in the Arctic, a bit about the Inuit culture, and to be more sensitive on these matters moving forward. There are many issues that Inuit have to deal with daily that are a direct result of actions we as southerners have done over the past 100+ years. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves on this history and be more empathetic to the current needs of people in the north.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

“What do you think family life looks like in Arctic Canada?”

Would you like to add anything else?

We want people to know that we are simply showing the life of one particular family. We are by no means trying to represent or speak for all the residents of Nunavik, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories (the main areas where Inuit in Canada live). This story, however, is quite a unique one as most southerners go up to the north to work on short term contract basis and then return home. Their presence up north is seen as transient. Conor is one of the few who is there for life. He has fallen in love with the region and with someone from there and they have started a wonderful little family. There are so many incredible things to learn and discover about all the people, communities, and the culture in the north. This is just one of them.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

A film looking into why certain caribou populations in Canada are in decline.

Interview: September 2017

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

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My Irnik

A young father teaches his son about the value of shared adventures, exploration and his ancestral Inuit heritage.

Length: 15 mins

Director: Matthew Hood & Francois Lebeau

Producer: Matthew Hood

Writer: Matthew Hood, Francois Lebeau, Conor Goddard

About the writer, director and producer:

Matthew Hood

Matthew Hood is a documentary filmmaker and photographer, focusing on nature, wildlife and exploration. His work aims to document and illustrate remote subjects through compelling and powerful imagery.

Francois Lebeau

François is a Montreal French-Canadian photographer who now lives in San Francisco, California. His work wanders in the cross-over style between photo-reportage, portraiture and adventure photography.

Key cast: Conor Goddard, Callum Goddard, Tracy Partridge

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Sales agents, buyers, distributors

Social media handles:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyIrnikFilm/

Instagram: @_matthewhood, @francoislebeau

Other:

Funders: Black Feather, First Air, Makivik Corporation, Kickstarter donors, self-financed

Made in association with: Cineground & North Face Canada

Where can I see it in the next month?

Port Townsend Film festival

Edmonton International Film festival