Annabella Piugattuk

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Annabella Piugattuk
Born (1982-12-19) December 19, 1982 (age 42)
Frobisher Bay, Northwest Territories, Canada
OccupationActress
Years active2003–present

Annabella Piugattuk (born December 19, 1982) is a Canadian Inuk actress, notable for her role in the 2003 film The Snow Walker . [1]

Contents

Early life

Annabella Piugattuk was born December 19, 1982, in Frobisher Bay, Northwest Territories (what is now Iqaluit, Nunavut), Canada. She was raised with her four brothers and younger sister in Igloolik, a village with a population of 1,286 in Nunavut. [2] Throughout her childhood, Piugattuk spent time with her grandfather, listening to his stories of their ancestral past and developing a deep understanding of Inuit tradition. She became adept at hunting and wilderness survival techniques. [2]

Acting career

Annabella became interested in acting after her grade eight teacher involved her in a school play. At the age of 19, she read a story in the Nunatsiaq News about casting directors in town searching for actors for a new film, The Snow Walker. She was encouraged by her mother to audition. [3]

At a community dance with friends, Piugattuk was approached by casting director Jared Valentine, who asked her to audition for the role of Kanaalaq. [4] After attending local auditions, the diminutive teenager (she is 4'9") and six other semi-finalists were flown to Vancouver to do screen tests. [5] A few weeks after returning home, she received word that she was offered the part. [2]

In the film The Snow Walker, Piugattuk plays the character of Kanaalaq, a young Inuk woman who helps a Canadian bush pilot to survive the harsh conditions of the Northwest Territories following an airplane crash. [1] Like the character she portrays, she can fish, hunt seal and walrus, and make clothing out of caribou hides. [4] For her role in The Snow Walker, Piugattuk received a Genie nomination as best supporting actress in 2004. [6] Her performance was commended by Susan Walker in the Toronto Star and by Liz Nicholls in the Edmonton Journal. [7] [8]

In 2005, she appeared in the TV miniseries Into the West in the role of Dancing Water.

Filmography

Honors and awards

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Annabella Piugattuk". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Annabella Piugattuk Biography". Tribute. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Annabella Piugattuk: Newly discovered Inuit actor; co-star, The Snow Walker". The Province. 2003-10-05. p. 40. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  4. 1 2 Burroughs, Alexandra (2004-03-18). "She hunts seals, skins caribou, lands major film role". Star-Phoenix. p. 41. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  5. ↑ Schaefer, Glen (2003-10-10). "A story and a city bring duo together". The Province. p. 80. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  6. ↑ Kirkland, Bruce (2004-03-17). "The 'real deal'". The Winnipeg Sun. p. 19. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  7. ↑ Walker, Susan (2004-03-05). "It's no Atanarjuat, but it's a pretty ice story". The Toronto Star. p. 53. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  8. ↑ Nicholls, Liz (2004-03-12). "Actors' chemistry rescues Snow Walker". Edmonton Journal. p. 44. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  9. ↑ "Awards for Annabella Piugattuk". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
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