The Necessities of Life movie storyline. In 1952, an Inuit hunter named Tivii with tuberculosis leaves his northern home and family to go recuperate at a sanatorium in Quebec City. Uprooted, far from his loved ones, unable to speak French and faced with a completely alien world, he becomes despondent.
When he refuses to eat and expresses a wish to die, his nurse, Carole, comes to the realization that Tivii’s illness is not the most serious threat to his well-being. She arranges to have a young orphan, Kaki, transferred to the institution. The boy is also sick, but has experience with both worlds and speaks both languages. By sharing his culture with Kaki and opening it up to others, Tivii rediscovers his pride and energy. Ultimately he also rediscovers hope through a plan to adopt Kaki, bring him home and make him part of his family.
The Necessities of Life (French: Ce qu’il Faut pour Vivre) is a 2008 Canadian drama film directed by Benoît Pilon and starring Natar Ungalaaq, Éveline Gélinas and Paul-André Brasseur. Told in both French and Inuktitut, the film is about an Inuit man who is sent to Quebec for tuberculosis treatment.
The film was shot in Iqaluit, Nunavut and Quebec City. It received positive reviews and won four Genie Awards, including Best Direction for Pilon, and the Special Grand Prize of the Jury of the Montreal World Film Festival.
The Necessities of Life (2008)
Ce qu’il Faut pour Vivre
Directed by: Benoit Pilon
Starring: Natar Ungalaaq, Éveline Gélinas, Paul-André Brasseur, Louise Marleau, Guy Thauvette, Antoine Bertrand, Vincent-Guillaume Otis, Denis Bernard, Luc Proulx, Miali Buscemi, Ann-Sophie Archer
Screenplay by: Bernard Émond
Production Design by: René Chénier, Bernadette Payeur
Cinematography by: Ann-Sophie Archer
Film Editing by: Richard Comeau
Costume Design by: Maryse Papineau
Makeup Department: André Duval, Nathalie Trépanier
Music by: Robert Marcel Lepage
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic materials and brief mild language.
Distributed by: IFC Festival Direct (United States)
Release Date: August 28, 2008 (Canada)
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