''The Necessities of Life'' (french: Ce qu'il faut pour vivre) is a 2008 Canadian drama film directed by

Benoît Pilon Benoît Pilon (born July 27, 1962) is a francophone Canadian director and screenwriter particularly noted for his innovative films and documentaries on the human condition. He is also the co-founder of ''"Les Films de l'autre" productions'', which ...

and starring

Natar Ungalaaq Natar Ungalaaq (born 1959) is a Canadian Inuit actor, filmmaker and sculptor whose work is in many major collections of Inuit art. Before playing the lead roles in '' Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner'' (2001) and '' The Necessities of Life (Ce qu'il fau ...

Éveline Gélinas Éveline Gélinas is a French-speaking Canadian actress who grew up in Saint-Boniface, Quebec, near Shawinigan. She was born in 1974 and graduated from Séminaire Sainte-Marie in 1991. She was nominated for a Genie Award for Best Supporting A ...

and Paul-André Brasseur. Told in both

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and

Inuktitut Inuktitut (; , syllabics ; from , "person" + , "like", "in the manner of"), also Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, is one of the principal Inuit languages of Canada. It is spoken in all areas north of the tree line, including parts of the provinces o ...

, the film is about an

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

man who is sent to

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

for

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

treatment. The film was shot in

Iqaluit Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on which the city is situated. In 1987, its t ...

Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...

and

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

. It received positive reviews and won four

Genie Awards The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for scu ...

, including

Best Direction The MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction is an award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and the director of the music video. From 1984 to 2006, the full name of the award was Best Direction in a Video, and in 2007, it was briefly rename ...

for Pilon, and the Special Grand Prize of the Jury of the

Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (WFF; french: le Festival des Films du Monde) was one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF (although the Toronto Internat ...

Plot

In 1952, a tuberculosis epidemic is sweeping

Northern Canada Northern Canada, colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada#Territories, territor ...

, and numerous

are compelled by the government to seek treatment in the lower provinces. One Inuit man from

Baffin Island Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is , slightly larger than Spain; its population was 13,039 as of the 2021 Canadia ...

, Tiivii, arrives at a

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

. He is treated by a

French Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fren ...

nurse, Carole. An orphaned boy, Kaki, also spends time with Tiivii in the institution. Tiivii struggles with the language barrier, being unable to speak French. Kaki speaks both French and Inuktitut, and can translate conversations between Tiivii and Carole. However, the relationship becomes awkward when Tiivii, through Kaki, asks Carole for sex. Kaki had advised him it was a bad idea, citing his greater understanding of

white people White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view. Description of populations as ...

, though Tiivii felt he had a better understanding of women. Tiivii hopes to adopt Kaki.

Cast

Production

When director

read

Bernard Émond Bernard Émond (born 1951) is a Canadian director, screenwriter, novelist and essayist working in the French-language. He studied anthropology at university and lived for several years in the Canadian north where he worked for the Inuit Broadcastin ...

's screenplay, he wanted Inuit actor

as the lead role after seeing him in the 2001 Inuit film '' Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner''. Ungalaaq read the screenplay, and found the story personal as his real-life grandfather was diagnosed with tuberculosis during the historical epidemic in the 1950s. He did not disclose this story to the media until after the film was complete. For his role as Kaki, Paul-André Brasseur, who lived in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

and spoke French, learned his Inuktitut lines with Ungalaaq's aid. The budget was $4 million. Filming took place over nearly a year, in numerous locations. Arctic scenes were shot around

, and other scenes were shot in

Release

The film was first screened at the

and at the Théâtre Maisonneuve on 25 August 2008. It opened in wider Quebec theatres on 29 August, and was re-released in Montreal, Quebec City and

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional count ...

on 3 April 2009. After the film was submitted for consideration for the

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

Entertainment One Entertainment One Ltd., trading as eOne, is an American-owned Canadian multinational entertainment company. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition, distribution, and production of films and television se ...

granted distribution rights for the United States to

IFC Films IFC Films is an American film production and distribution company based in New York. It is an offshoot of IFC owned by AMC Networks. It distributes mainly independent films under its own name, select foreign films and documentaries under its S ...

in January 2009. Entertainment One re-released the film in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

and

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

in April 2009.

Reception

Critical reception

The film received critical acclaim. In Canada, of '' La Presse'' called the film beautiful and

strong and charismatic. ''

The Montreal Gazette The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...

s Brendan Kelly called it "quite simply one of the best Quebecois films of the year." Normand Provencher of ''La Presse'' described it as intelligent and beautiful. In ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...

'',

Brian D. Johnson Brian D. Johnson is a Canadians, Canadian journalist and filmmaker, best known as an entertainment reporter and film critic for ''Maclean's''."Return of the '70s: not very far out". ''Montreal Gazette'', November 19, 1994. He first joined the maga ...

assessed the film as "an immaculately crafted, deeply distressing drama," albeit difficult to watch given the subject matter. Johnson said Ungalaaq displayed grace, but at times was depicted as a

noble savage A noble savage is a literary stock character who embodies the concept of the indigene, outsider, wild human, an "other" who has not been "corrupted" by civilization, and therefore symbolizes humanity's innate goodness. Besides appearing in man ...

. Linda Barnard, writing for ''

The Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'', called it "A gentle yet moving story," and praised Ungalaaq. Following Quebec's

Jutra Awards The Prix Iris is a Canadian film award, presented annually by Québec Cinéma, which recognizes talent and achievement in the mainly francophone feature film industry in Quebec.Marcel Proulx Marcel Proulx (; born 6 March 1946 in L'Orignal, Ontario) is a retired Canadian politician. Proulx is a former member of the Liberal Party of Canada in the House of Commons of Canada, having represented the riding of Hull—Aylmer from 19 ...

told the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

in March 2009 that the film was a powerful statement on the distinct cultures of

Nunavik Nunavik (; ; iu, ᓄᓇᕕᒃ) comprises the northern third of the province of Quebec, part of the Nord-du-Québec region and nearly coterminous with Kativik. Covering a land area of north of the 55th parallel, it is the homeland of the I ...

and the rest of Quebec. MP

Roger Pomerleau Roger Pomerleau (born 7 June 1947) is a Canadian politician and carpenter. He served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1993 to 1997 and again from 2008 to 2011. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Pomerleau was elected in the Anjou—Rivière-des-P ...

also publicly congratulated Ungalaaq. Writing for ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', Dennis Harvey said "''Necessities'' knows just how to eke maximum poignancy from its events without seeming to manipulate for tearjerking effect." Dan Kois, writing for ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', called the film "thoughtful and, especially at its end, quite touching," but found it unoriginal and blandly directed. In ''

The Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by ...

'', Cliff Doerksen said parts of the film appear to be no better than a

TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

, "but the acting is understated and strong."

Accolades

Canada submitted the film for consideration for the

, one of the rare Canadian selections to feature a substantial amount of Inuktitut, following '' Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner''. In January 2009, Academy members shortlisted the film among nine for the

81st Academy Awards The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2008 and took place on February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 ...

, but it was not nominated. It received the most nominations at the

29th Genie Awards The 29th Genie Awards were held on April 4, 2009, to honour Canadian films released in 2008. The ceremony was held at the Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, and was broadcast on Global and IFC. The ceremony was hosted by Dave Foley. ...

, with eight.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Necessities Of Life 2008 films Canadian drama films Films set in Quebec City Films set in the Northwest Territories Films shot in Nunavut Films shot in Quebec 2000s French-language films Inuktitut-language films Films directed by Benoît Pilon Films about Inuit in Canada Films about tuberculosis Best Film Prix Iris winners 2000s Canadian films