Detroit Film Theatre
THE CANADIAN SCENE: NECESSITIES OF LIFE

Wednesday, November 04, 2009 7:00 PM

(Canada – 2008 – directed by Benoit Pilon)

“The Necessities of Life was inspired by a tuberculosis epidemic that broke out in the Inuit population of Canada’s far north in the 1940s and ‘50s. Natar Ungalaaq (The Fast Runner) stars as a stricken man yanked from his isolated home to a Quebec City hospital, where he experiences both profound culture shock and transcending human connections. The staff and other patients initially show scant regard for Natar’s fish-out-of-water bewilderment... but that note softens as Tivii grows interested in those around him, and vice versa. His polite carnal overture to a nurse, a massive etiquette gaffe that would have ruffled no feathers back home, highlights The Necessities of Life’s gentle humor.” —Dennis Harvey, Variety (102 min.)