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There was an excellent movie a couple of years ago called "Snow Walker", set in the 1930's Canadian Arctic. The female lead, strikingly beautiful, learned and parcticed a great deal of the traditional Innuit lifestyle.

ANNABELLA PIUGATTUK (Kanaalaq) is
thrilled to be making her film debut as
Kanaalaq in the feature film The Snow
Walker. Â Given the opportunity to co-star
with leading man, Barry Pepper, and being
directed by Charles Martin Smith, is a blessing.
Having been discovered in the remote town
of Igloolik, only a few hundred miles south
of the North Pole, Annabella's life has made
an extraordinary change.

Piugattuk was born in Iqaluit, and lived in
Igloolik for 19 years until The Snow Walker
casting director, Jared Valentine, discovered her
at a local teen dance.

Piugattuk shared her childhood with four brothers
and one sister in the town of 1,170 people. Â She
enjoyed the kinds of things all teenagers enjoy -
hip-hop music, dancing, sports, and acting in
school plays. Â But she also enjoyed snowmobiling,
4-wheel driving and, with two friends in her
community, still found time to record a CD of
traditional throat-singing and songs. Â Â

What separates Piugattuk from other 19 year olds
is her deep understanding of Inuit tradition. Â At
14, Piugattuk learned to hunt on her own and to
survive the harsh lands by herself - she stands
all of 4'9",making her accomplishments all that
more remarkable. She has learned patience by
standing quietly hour after hour waiting for the
right moment  to hook a seal; she exhibited
unselfish bravery  when she saved her best
friend from drowning in the deadly Arctic waters;
she gained strength by facing the hardships of
life in the North,and the loss of friends and
family through suicide; she has learned to
celebrate life through the creative spirit of
the Inuit.

When Piugattuk first went out for the role of
Kanaalaq, she was nervous, but not for long -
Kanaalaq felt so natural to her. Â Her character
speaks Inuktitut in the movie, Piugattuk's first
language. She grew up listening to her grand
father tell stories of their ancestral past and
she used these stories to better understand
her character.

Piugattuk had been interested in acting since
her grade eight teacher involved her in a school
play, but she never imagined the dream would
become a reality.Though overwhelmed when
she first found out she had landed the role of
Kanaalaq, there is a part of her that knew it
was meant to be.

Piugattuk now makes her home in Vancouver,
British Columbia.