Tautuktavuk (What We See) is a Canadian drama film directed by Carol Kunnuk and Lucy Tulugarjuk.Johanna Schneller, "What We See, opening at TIFF, explores the persistence of Inuit trauma". The Globe and Mail, September 2, 2023.
The film had its world premiere in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. It had its commercial premiere in Igloolik. It was later named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2023.
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.Peter Howell, "TIFF 2023: The 10 (plus!) movies our film critic can’t wait to see at the festival". Toronto Star, September 6, 2023.
The cast also includes Susan Avingaq, Leah Panimera, Beatrice Deer and Madeline Ivalu in supporting roles.
Distribution The film had its world premiere in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.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.
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.
Response The film was named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2023.Pat Mullen, "TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten Includes BlackBerry, Solo, Humanist Vampire". That Shelf, December 6, 2023.
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."Johanna Schneller, "TIFF 2023: Indigenous drama ‘What We See’ is an essential step in healing". The Globe and Mail, September 2, 2023.
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.Liam Lacey, "TIFF Interview: Directors Spotlight Inuit Trauma & Healing in Tautuktavuk (What We See)". Original Cin, September 11, 2023.
Awards At TIFF, the film won the Amplify Voices Award for Best First Film.Christian Zilko, "American Fiction’ Wins People’s Choice Award at 2023 TIFF (Complete Winners List)". IndieWire, September 17, 2023.
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