The Necessities of Life

Set in the 1950s, The Necessities of Life recalls a time when tuberculosis was still an epidemic and a serious problem for many underserved communities. As the disease spread, many Inuit were forced to leave their homes in search of treatment elsewhere. As the film begins, Tivii (Natar Ungalaaq, "Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner") is brought to a sanatorium in Quebec City, where he is told he has to leave his family behind and face treatment alone. Suddenly he finds himself removed from everything he knows, surrounded by a language he does not speak, and facing a future that is uncertain. Luckily, he has a nurse, Carole (Éveline Gélinas) who is kind and nurturing, and who wants to see Tivii thrive. This film was the official Canadian submission for the Academy Award(R) for Best Foreign Language Film.