Sikumi (On The Ice)
Short film review of Sikumi (On The Ice) by Kjrsten Schindler (Program Director and Volunteer Coordinator at KSUA):
Sikumi (On The Ice) is a short film that was posted on YouTube December 28, 2010. This film was made for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Sikumi (One The Ice) was written and directed by Inupiaq filmmaker Andrew Okpeaha MacLean. There are three characters in this film. The actors and characters are as follows: Brad Weyiuoanna playing Apuna; Tony Bryant playing Miqu; and Olemaun Rexford playing Taqi. This was filmed exclusively just outside Utqiagvik (FKA Barrow), Alaska and in the Native Alaskan Inupiaq’s native language, Inuktitut.
Summary of film
Sikumi (On The Ice) is a story about Inuit hunters. It starts with Apuna dog sledding on the icy tundra hunting seals. However, instead of finding seals to hunt, he witnesses a murder through his binoculars. He then goes to investigate and see what is going on.
Why I like the film
There are many reasons why I love this film, there is dog sledding, a sense of uneasiness at times, a murder, not knowing what is going to happen next, along with many more similar reasons. I personally love murder mystery movies and shows. Even though Sikumi (On The Ice) is not a mystery, it still give a sense of mysteriousness concerning Taqi’s actions and decisions.
More about the director
As mentioned before, Andrew Okpeaha MacLean is a Native Alaskan Inupiaq filmmaker. Originally from Barrow, Alaska, he earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from New York University (NYU) and has since moved back to Fairbanks, Alaska. MacLean first entered into the 2005 Sundance Film Festival with his short film Seal Hunting For Dad. Sikumi (On The Ice) was MacLean’s first ever film written entirely in the Inupiaq language. He presented this film 3 years later at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and won a Special Jury Prize. The film has since been viewed at over 40 film festivals globally. Since then, MacLean, working with Sundance Institute’s Film Program, has turned the short film Sikumi (On The Ice) into a feature length film that will be presented and viewed at the festival in January 2023.
Link to view short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0d1UCsaZOg
