Twice Colonized – Hot Docs 2023

Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter embarks on a journey to reclaim her language and culture in Twice Colonized. Aaju Peter has made it her lifelong fight to campaign for the rights of Inuit people, particularly against opposition to the Inuit's hunting of seals. After her son suddenly dies of suicide, Aaju embarks on a journey to reclaim herself after twice being a colonization victim in Canada and Denmark.

Twice Colonized Synopsis

Twice Colonized is a documentary directed by Lin Alluna about renowned Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter. The film is produced by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, who previously featured Aaju Peter in her 2016 documentary Angry Inuk, of which Twice Colonized can be seen as a de facto follow-up. The film sees Aaju Peter going on a personal journey of cultural reclamation after the sudden death of her youngest son.

My Thoughts on Twice Colonized

Before relocating to the Canadian Arctic, Aaju Peter was originally from Greenland. She experienced the effects of colonialism when she was sent off to live with a foster family in Denmark. Twice Colonized is a very personal journey about the long-term effects of colonialism, where Inuit people like Aaju Peter were stripped of their language and culture. This ties into the biggest issue of seal hunting bans that crashed the only economy for the Inuit. Ultimately, Twice Colonized is a more introspective film about colonialism, as opposed to Angry Inuk‘s Call to Action message.