The Country of Wolves

Gr 8 Up—In this short film, two Inuit brothers out reindeer hunting become lost in the snow and stumble upon a remote village where they find a pack of ravenous werewolves. The older brother uses magic and his wits to return home alive. Based on an Inuit folktale, the movie is gritty and suspenseful, with fluid pacing and a percussion-heavy soundtrack that keeps the viewer on edge. It's a perfect blend of modern horror and traditional storytelling, and a wonderful window into this culture's oral tradition. Accompanying the DVD is a graphic novel adaptation, which captures very little of the film's magic, and feels more like a collection of screenshots of the movie's key scenes. Its human-to-wolf transformation scenes are not nearly as impressive as they are in the film. As a whole, it's an interesting multimedia package and would be a good addition for lesson plans on Inuit culture, since the movie will definitely be a hit with teen boys.—Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI