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Allakariallak

**Allakariallak**, also known as Nanuk, was the central figure and protagonist of the celebrated 1922 silent documentary *Nanook of the North*, directed by Robert J. Flaherty.

Not an actor in the traditional sense, Allakariallak portrayed himself, an Inuit hunter from the Ungava region in northern Quebec. The film is recognized as one of the first and most influential ethnographic documentaries, and his "performance" is fundamental to the narrative. Through Allakariallak, Flaherty depicted the daily life, challenges, and resilience of the Inuit people, creating an intimate and authentic portrait.

His figure has become iconic, a symbol of the struggle for survival in a hostile environment and an unwitting pioneer of documentary cinema.

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