Sanikiluaq (May 31/04) - They see their community in a special way. They live there, and they are also still only in Grade 11.

Armed with Sony digital video cameras in their media studies class, inspired by their surroundings and the work of Iglulik's Zach Kunuk (The Fast Runner), Sanikiluaq students Sarah Kudluarok, Caroline Meeko, Minnie Novalinga, and Sarah Qavvik recently won first prize at the National Aboriginal Youth Business Plan competition award for a video they made in school about the place they call home.

The eight-minute-long video features slices of life in Sanikiluaq shot by each student. Pieced together it creates a portrait of an Inuit community that respects and honours its culture while having fun with it, too.

In one scene Minnie's sister Annie Novalinga models a striking pair of polar bear skin pants, made in Sanikiluaq of course.

In another scene, Kudluarok waves at the camera wrapped up in a polar bear rug, also locally made, which is the point of the video.

It may be short. But the film is intended to entice viewers to visit the unique cluster of islands in the southern most part of Nunavut.

Seventy-two schools, (300 students) took part in the projects judged for the competition which finally handed out its awards in Prince George, B.C., May 1-4.

The students were thrilled to win.

"Everybody was cheering and clapping for us," Kudluarok said.

Many people at the gathering in B.C. did not know much about Nunavut, Kudluarok said. The Sanikiluaq students were happy to fill them in.

"They asked us if we knew how to throat sing," she said.

Sure enough, their video features a clip of sisters Annie (who is in Grade 10 and has yet to take the media course) and Minnie Novalinga throat singing.

The students all say they want to do more filmmaking, and possibly become real filmmakers like Zach Kunuk.

They liked Atanarjuat because, as Kudluarok said: "It's in Inuktitut. And it is about Inuit culture."