Premieres Monday, Oct. 14, 2024 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS app
POV explores what it means to confront the colonial sins of the past and what it takes to make reparations for the erasure of cultures in Danish director Lin Alluna’s candid, reflexive film, "Twice Colonized." In the documentary, Alluna travels with renowned Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter as she embarks on a personal journey to reclaim her language and identity after a lifetime of whitewashing and forced assimilation. The goal, to bring her colonizers in both Canada and Denmark to justice.
On a structural level, Aaju shines a new light on the very real effects of colonization, while pointing towards a better future. "Twice Colonized," a co-production between Ánorâk Film, EyeSteelFilm, and Red Marrow Media, is the first co-production between Inuit across colonial borders. Produced by Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Bob Moore the film will make its national broadcast premiere in recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Aaju Peter, a lawyer, activist, and grandmother, is a force of nature. As a member of a historically marginalized and oppressed community, Aaju's heritage puts her in the unique position of someone who has been "twice colonized" — first by Danish settlers in Greenland, and then by modern-day Canadian policies and institutions.
As an activist, she addresses the growing crisis of opportunity in the Arctic, defends the human rights and traditions of Indigenous peoples in the region, and is a fierce protector of her ancestral lands. In the film, Aaju takes offense to seal hunt activists, asking for an Inuit exemption so hunters can continue to hunt as they’ve done for generations.
She works tirelessly to bring colonizers in both Canada and Denmark to justice while deploying her effusive spirit and illuminating wit to provoke self-examination and personal responsibility among Westerners for imposing their colonial ways.
As Aaju launches an effort to establish an Indigenous forum at the European Union, she finds herself facing a complex and deeply personal journey to mend her own wounds from the unexpected passing of her youngest son.
Filmed over five years, throughout the emotionally powerful documentary, director Lin Alluna journeys alongside Aaju as she plumbs through the social and personal wreckage of sanctioned white dominance to find the strength — within her abilities, her community, and her own vulnerabilities — to transform her hardships and painful experiences into something amazing that can inspire others who also struggle with the poisonous effects of colonialism.
Filmmaker Quote:
“Aaju and I wanted to make a film that inspires and empowers you by portraying one person’s fight for change,” said director Lin Alluna. “To me, Aaju is a leader who understands that we need imperfect role models who dare to be vulnerable, and it makes me extremely proud that she chose me to make this film with her. We share a vision to paint an intimate and nuanced portrait of what it means for Aaju to be on a journey of self discovery as well as being an ambitious activist searching for a sustainable way to push governments to protect all of our children’s future. I’m very excited that this vision will now reach audiences in the U.S. on Indigenous Peoples’ Day.”
Aaju is a Greenlandic Inuit lawyer and activist, based in Arctic Canada. She is a fierce defender of Indigenous rights and issues related to sustainability and resources. In 2011, she received Canada's highest honor, the Order of Canada, and since then she has been called upon as an advisor to both the EU and UN.
Watch On Your Schedule: "Twice Colonized" will be available for streaming concurrently with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
In addition to standard closed captioning for the films, POV, in partnership with audio description service DiCapta, provides real-time audio interpretations for audiences with sensory disabilities.
Film Awards:
"Twice Colonized" made its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival where it was a Grand Jury Prize World Cinema - Documentary nominee. The documentary made its Danish premiere as the Opening Night film at the 2023 CPH:DOX Film Festival, and opened the 2023 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival marking its Canadian premiere. The premieres marked the first time in history that the same film opened both high profile documentary festivals. An official selection of many film festivals notable wins include the “Camera Justitia Prize” at The Hague Movies That Matter Festival 2023, and the “Grand Jury Prize” at the 2023 Gimli Film Festival. The film also won the “Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary” Award at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, and received a nomination for “Best Original Music in a Feature Length Documentary.” It won the Transparency Jury Prize at the 12th Annual Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA 2024), received a Robert Award (the Danish Oscars) and Bodil (the Danish Golden Globes) nomination for “Best Documentary,” and Cinema Eye Honors recognized Aaju Peter as one of its “Unforgettables” Award winners at their 2024 ceremony.
Credits: A co-production between Ánorâk Film, EyeSteelFilm, and Red Marrow Media. Lin Alluna is the director. Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Bob Moore are the producers, and Katie McKay is the associate producer. The writers are Lin Alluna and Aaju Peter. Mark Bukdahl is the editor, and the cinematographers are Iris Ng, Glauco Bermudez, David Bauer and Lin Alluna. Sound design is by Benoît Dame and Catherine Van Der Donckt. Music is by Olivier Alary, Johannes Malfatti and Celina Kalluk.
