Tautuktavuk (What We See)

Tautuktavuk (What We See)
Directed by	Carol Kunnuk Lucy Tulugarjuk
Written by	Lucy Tulugarjuk Carol Kunnuk Gillian Robinson Samuel Cohn-Cousineau Norman Cohn
Produced by	Lucy Tulugarjuk Jonathan Frantz
Starring	Carol Kunnuk Mark Taqqaugaq Lucy Tulugarjuk Benjamin Kunuk
Cinematography	Jonathan Frantz
Edited by	Jeremiah Hayes
Music by	Beatrice Deer Lucy Tulugarjuk Mark Wheaton
Production company	Kingulliit Productions
Distributed by	Isuma
Release date	September 10, 2023 (2023-09-10) (TIFF)
Running time	82 minutes
Country	Canada
Language	Inuktitut

Tautuktavuk (What We See) is a Canadian drama film directed by Carol Kunnuk and Lucy Tulugarjuk.[1]

The film had its world premiere in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[2] It had its commercial premiere in Igloolik.[3] It was later named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2023.[4]

The film centres on Saqpinak (Kunnuk) and Uyarak (Tulugarjuk), two Inuit sisters whose lives have significantly diverged as Uyarak lives in Montreal while Saqpinak has remained in Igloolik, Nunavut, who are reconnecting through regular video chats during the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]

Distribution

The film had its world premiere in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[2]

It premiered commercially in a screening at the Igloolik High School in Igloolik in January 2024, in advance of several further film festival screenings in southern Canada and a spring tour of other communities in the Arctic.[3]

Response

The film was named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2023.[4]

Johanna Schneller of The Globe and Mail praised the film, writing that "It doesn’t matter which parts of the verité-style film Tautuktavuk (What We See) are scripted and which aren’t. Co-directors Lucy Tulugarjuk and Carol Kunnuk have woven their experiences and those of friends and family into a documentary/fiction hybrid that doesn’t have to worry about what’s real, because it’s about what’s true: The persistence of trauma in Inuit communities. The ubiquity of abuse – sexual and physical, domestic and institutional. The grave lack of support systems in the North. The solace of community. The effort of healing."[6]

When interviewing Tulugaruk about the film, Liam Lacey of Original Cin speculated that the film's principal promotional image, depicting Uyarak running away from her abusive spouse through the streets of Igloolik in her bare feet, was an allusion to the climactic scene in the influential 2001 film Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner; Tulugarjuk stated that while she had expected that question to be raised, it was not intended as such.[7]

Awards

At TIFF, the film won the Amplify Voices Award for Best First Film.[8]

References

1. Johanna Schneller, "What We See, opening at TIFF, explores the persistence of Inuit trauma". The Globe and Mail, September 2, 2023.
2. Valerie Complex, "TIFF Unveils Cinematic First Looks With Discovery And Midnight Madness Program; World Premieres Include ‘Hell Of A Summer,’ ‘Gonzo Girl,’ ‘Widow Clicquot,’ And ‘Boy Kills World’". Deadline Hollywood, August 3, 2023.
3. "Igloolik-based film set for theatrical tour including stop in Nunavut". Nunatsiaq News. 2024-02-09. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
4. Pat Mullen, "TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten Includes BlackBerry, Solo, Humanist Vampire". That Shelf, December 6, 2023.
5. Peter Howell, "TIFF 2023: The 10 (plus!) movies our film critic can’t wait to see at the festival". Toronto Star, September 6, 2023.
6. Johanna Schneller, "TIFF 2023: Indigenous drama ‘What We See’ is an essential step in healing". The Globe and Mail, September 2, 2023.
7. Liam Lacey, "TIFF Interview: Directors Spotlight Inuit Trauma & Healing in Tautuktavuk (What We See)". Original Cin, September 11, 2023.
8. Christian Zilko, "American Fiction’ Wins People’s Choice Award at 2023 TIFF (Complete Winners List)". IndieWire, September 17, 2023.