Iqaluit (Aug 11/03) - Chantal Gabriot has been in the tourism business long enough to notice patterns, like people from Japan who come north to see the Northern lights and the Europeans who are eager to learn Northern legends and stories.

Tourists from France, Germany and Italy also enjoy spending time with local families, getting to know the customs and ways of the land through a more hands-on experience.

This is why the film she is working on in Kimmirut this week will focus on the people and the tales of the North, with plenty of time spent on the water.

"It's better to have a film," Gabriot said, sitting in her office located at the Association des francophones du Nunavut. "Every market is different."

Gabriot has helped produce brochures and glossy magazines, including Destination Nunavut and Le Toit du Monde, which encourages tourists around the world to think North.

But this is her first film, and she is excited about it.

"The European market, they want the stories," she said. "Nunavut is great for that. We have a lot of stories to discover."

The crew will spend five days rafting down the Soper River this week kayaking then they will stay at a home in Kimmirut and have a traditional dinner.

"I feel the more exposure we get the better," said Kyra Fisher the EDO in Kimmirut, who is thrilled the crew choose her community.

The adventurous film is not cheap - the project costs $95,000 to produce, Gabriot said, with funding supplied by the National Committee for Canadian Francophonie Human Resources Development.

But the tourist dollars the film may bring to Nunavut are limitless, she said.

Tourists spend $4,000 each when they come here, Gabriot said.

"It's a small market, but they are good customers," she stressed. "They are interested. They appreciate everything."

Gabriot said she hopes to secure a distributor for the film in Quebec in September for an October release in Canada and Europe.