The Necessities of Life
Encyclopedia
The Necessities of Life is a 2008
film directed by Benoît Pilon
. The film was acclaimed by critics and received the Special Grand Prize of Jury of the Montreal World Film Festival
. It was also nominated at the Namur
International Film Festival and Vancouver International Film Festival
. The film was Canada's submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 81st Academy Awards
.
epidemic
in the Far North
as its starting point. The spread of the disease forced many Inuit
to go to various Canadian cities for treatment. Tiivii (Natar Ungalaaq
; Atanarjuat: the Fast Runner) is taken to a sanatorium
in Quebec City
, from Baffin Island
July 1952. Uprooted, far from his loved ones and faced with a completely alien world, he finds himself unable to communicate with anyone.
When his nurse, Carole (Éveline Gélinas
) realizes that Tiivii’s illness is not the most serious threat to his well-being, she arranges to have a young orphan, Kaki (Paul-André Brasseur
), transferred to the institution. The boy is also sick, but has experience of both worlds and speaks both languages. By sharing his culture with Kaki and opening it up to others, Tiivii rediscovers his pride and energy. Ultimately, he also rediscovers hope through a plan to adopt Kaki, bring him home and make him part of his family.
The film also stars Denis Bernard
, Louise Marleau
, Antoine Bertrand, Guy Thauvette, Luc Proulx and Vincent-Guillaume Otis.
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
film directed by Benoît Pilon
Benoît Pilon
Benoît Pilon is a French-language Canadian director and screenwriter particularly noted for his innovative films and documentaries on the human condition...
. The film was acclaimed by critics and received the Special Grand Prize of Jury of the Montreal World Film Festival
Montreal World Film Festival
The Montreal World Film Festival , founded in 1977, is one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF...
. It was also nominated at the Namur
Namur (city)
Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
International Film Festival and Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
. The film was Canada's submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 81st Academy Awards
81st Academy Awards
The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...
.
Synopsis
The film uses the 1950s-era tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
in the Far North
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
as its starting point. The spread of the disease forced many Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
to go to various Canadian cities for treatment. Tiivii (Natar Ungalaaq
Natar Ungalaaq
Natar Ungalaaq is a Canadian Inuit actor, filmmaker, and sculptor whose artwork is in many major collections of Inuit art worldwide...
; Atanarjuat: the Fast Runner) is taken to a sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, from Baffin Island
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...
July 1952. Uprooted, far from his loved ones and faced with a completely alien world, he finds himself unable to communicate with anyone.
When his nurse, Carole (Éveline Gélinas
Éveline Gélinas
Éveline Gélinas is a French-speaking Canadian actress who grew up in Saint-Boniface, Quebec, near Shawinigan.She was born in 1974 and graduated from Séminaire Sainte-Marie in 1991...
) realizes that Tiivii’s illness is not the most serious threat to his well-being, she arranges to have a young orphan, Kaki (Paul-André Brasseur
Paul-André Brasseur
Paul-André Brasseur is a Canadian child actor of partly Inuit ancestry.-Filmography:* Ce qu'il faut pour vivre ; aka The Necessities of Life -External links:...
), transferred to the institution. The boy is also sick, but has experience of both worlds and speaks both languages. By sharing his culture with Kaki and opening it up to others, Tiivii rediscovers his pride and energy. Ultimately, he also rediscovers hope through a plan to adopt Kaki, bring him home and make him part of his family.
The film also stars Denis Bernard
Denis Bernard
Denis Bernard is a Canadian film, television and theater actor and producer.- Actor :- Producer :- Awards :* Prix Paul-Hébert * Prix Nicky-Roy...
, Louise Marleau
Louise Marleau
Louise Marleau is a Canadian actress. She won the 1985 Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her role in Femme de l'hôtel and was nominated in the same category in 1980 for her role in L'arrache-coeur a role for which she won the 1979 Montreal World Film Festival.She...
, Antoine Bertrand, Guy Thauvette, Luc Proulx and Vincent-Guillaume Otis.
External links
- http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117938080.html?u=IMDB&p=H2BE&cs=1Review from VarietyVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
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