Far up the Greenland East coast a young aspiring hunter, 23 year-old Martin Madsen still uses his sled dogs for hunting seals and polar bears as they have always done in his family. But times are changing in Greenland and the sled dogs are slowly dying out. From his remote village Ittoqqortoormiit, Martin asks himself what the future holds for him and his sled dogs.
For thousands of years the sled dog has shaped the life of the Inuit people. Today, global and local changes are threatening the future of the sled dog in Greenland, and the unique culture surrounding it.
'The Hunter' is part of the documentary series 'When the dogs are gone' that takes us on a reflective journey far North, to experience the value of sled dogs directly from those whose cultural identity is at risk. The series consists of five portraits across Greenland, that unveil the significance of this unique relationship and give voice to a conversation about the future of the sled dog.
The series is part of a large scientific project on the sled dog culture and the genetic origins of the sled dog. The project is called 'Qimmeq - The Greenlandic sled dog' is under the University of Greenland, the Natural History Museum of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen.
