Set on ice, ‘North of North' warms the heart

Yahoo

18-04-2025

Sandra Hale SchulmanSpecial to ICT
A hit in Canada, 'North of North' is a clever, relatable comedy about a 27-year-old Inuk woman and her challenging relationships with her macho, soon-to-be-ex-husband Ting, troubled mother Neevee, adorable kid Bun, and surprise father Alastair. Set in an isolated Alaskan community, the show hits all the right frigid – yet warm – notes.
Filmed in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and Toronto, Ontario, the show features Siaja, played by Anna Lambe, who is from Inuit and appeared in HBO's 'True Detective: Night Country.' Siaja aims to build a new future for herself after leaving her condescending husband. But in a small Arctic town where everybody knows your business and you work in the community center, it won't be easy. But it may be funny, even when a mysterious sea goddess keeps calling you a loser.
In eight episodes, 'North of North' introduces the residents of Ice Cove, Nunavut, sheltered in vistas of snow, mountains, polar seas and cozy homes. This is Netflix's first Canadian original series from co-creators and executive producers Stacey Aglok-MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, who are both Inuit. Their search for a cast included combing the geographic terrain where the series is set and filmed.
'We had to scan the Arctic far and wide,' said Aglok-MacDonald ('Qanurli,' 'The Grizzlies') in a Netflix interview. 'I never in my wildest dreams imagined that our core family – Neevee, Siaja, and Bun – would be Inuit from Iqaluit [Nunavut's capital city, where 'North of North' was filmed]. It's beyond special.'
'This cast has been a gift,' said Arnaquq-Baril ('Angry Inuk,' 'The Grizzlies'). 'They're beautiful, generous, and so smart. They work so hard and open up their hearts and souls, sometimes with difficult material. This is a warm, aspirational, and lighthearted show, but there are definitely some moments where sh*t gets real – and they handle it with such grace. I feel so lucky.'
Co-produced with the Canadian Broadcasting Company in partnership with Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, 'North of North' is the first production of its scale filmed in the Arctic Canadian territory of Nunavut.
Despite the set up, it is a comedy, though the creators, cast and crew faced challenges filming the show from harsh weather conditions to logistics of transporting crew and set materials.
Mainly filmed in Iqaluit, Nunavut's most populous city, there are 500 locals working as background actors – including the mayor – along with the series' 45 Canadian cast members.
The series rests on Lambe, who rises to the task with enthusiasm as challenging situations arise constantly at home and at work. Along the way, tribal stories are told – about residential schools, traditional roles in question, how they need to hunt to eat as provisions most take for granted are far away. Hunting scenes are kept mostly off screen for the squeamish.
Lambe says she drew from her own experiences growing up in Iqaluit.
'I saw a story that I was familiar with from so many people that I grew up with,' she told Netflix. 'When we see Siaja in the beginning of the season, she's quite frantic and insecure. We see her make some large and life-changing decisions that cause her to fall flat on her face in front of her entire community and force her to reevaluate her life and try to make it better. Throughout the season, we see her growth as she begins to validate and understand her own feelings. She finds support within her community that she was often isolated from or that she felt she couldn't reach out to.'
Maika Harper plays her mother Neevee, who has yet to come to terms with her early abuse, drinking problem, and motherhood.
'She doesn't let too many people in,' Harper told Netflix. 'She has gone through so much in her life and she finally comes to terms with herself. It's beautiful to see her blossom as a character.'
The other star of the show is the furry, vibrant array of coats the characters wear – traditional Inuit parkas called amautis or qulittaqs.
'Our goal was to get it right culturally, and for it to be beautiful and modern,' the show's lead costume designer, Debra Hanson, told Vogue Magazine. 'And to make the characters come alive.'
Working with Keenan 'Nooks' Lindell, an Inuk artist and consultant on the series, the costumes are a highlight. The cast sports colorful and bold parkas of fox and wolverine, furry mitts, dozens of pairs of beaded earrings acquired from various festivals, and boots that had to be kept in a freezer as they are naturally tanned sealskin.
Designers included Winnie Nungak, and Victoria Kakuktinniq of Victoria's Arctic Fashion, who has shown her work at Toronto's Indigenous Fashion Arts.
The notable soundtrack includes tracks from The Halluci Nation and Billie Eilish.
Saija zips around on her Ski Doo in big furry hats, embroidered parkas, and mirror wrap-around shades, battling problems – a literal dumpster fire, an elder who drops dead during her first night hosting them, an attractive co-worker she may or may not have a future with.
We root for her and her extended family and community to win a baseball game played with an oosik (walrus dick) pitch ice station research project funding, hunt seal and elk, kiss and make up through 10 layers of clothing.
It may not be a typical community's problems, but the seasoned cast, fresh storylines and exotic Arctic locale prove to be endearing. It's charm on ice.
'North of North' is now streaming all episodes on Netflix.
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