NANUK: Lord of the Ice

Heinz (The Wolves, 1996, etc.) and Manchess convene their talents in praise of the polar bear's fierce, free spirit. Set in the harsh ice lands of the Arctic, majestic Nanuk smells seal on the wind. Poetic descriptions trace Nanuk's hunt and near-peril as he stalks his prey--a ringed seal. The hunger is also the hunted; alternate scenes depict a man and his dog team tracking the bear. The narrative does not spare graphic details: ""Nanuk clamped his dead seal down under his right forefoot and skinned the carcass, tearing out the blubber with raking claws, staining the ice crimson."" The less visceral oil paintings mix light-infused still-lifes with photo-realistic action shots. Text and art work together in symphonic anticipation, conveying the hunt in all its tension and fury.