When Robert Flaherty made Nanook of the North more than eighty years ago, he opened the eyes of viewers to a new use for the big screen, and, though enacted, paved the way for the development of the film documentary. In Nanook, Flaherty directed a family of Eskimos-among whom he had lived for some time as a mineralogist-enacting their daily activities for his camera. The resultant saga of constant struggle against harsh elements, contrasted with the intimate warmth of a small family, remains one of the most beautiful films ever made. Nanook of the North was a worldwide success on its release, adding irony to the tragic fate of its hero, Nanook, who starved to death on the ice shortly after the film's release.