In developing SA国际影视传媒楴orth of North,SA国际影视传媒� a new Inuk comedy co-produced by Netflix and CBC in partnership with APTN, the creators made one thing clear: it had to be SA国际影视传媒渁 horny show.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淪o often Indigenous women donSA国际影视传媒檛 have any bodily autonomy in shows and arenSA国际影视传媒檛 allowed to enjoy sex. TheySA国际影视传媒檙e often victims of it,SA国际影视传媒� said Nunavut-born co-creator Stacey Aglok MacDonald during an interview last month in Toronto.
SA国际影视传媒淲e really wanted to show Inuit women and Indigenous women being in control of their bodies, having feelings and wanting romance and wanting sex and all of that stuff.SA国际影视传媒�
Turning to star Anna Lambe and co-creator Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, who were sitting beside her at the CBC headquarters, she added: SA国际影视传媒淚t also felt real to us, and weSA国际影视传媒檙e all about authenticity.SA国际影视传媒�
The three burst into laughter, somewhat delirious from the long day of promoting the show. MacDonald quipped that the endless parade of journalists shuffling in and out of the junket room left them feeling SA国际影视传媒渓ike weSA国际影视传媒檙e in a brothel,SA国际影视传媒� drawing another round of chuckles.
SA国际影视传媒楴orth of NorthSA国际影视传媒� follows LambeSA国际影视传媒檚 Siaja, a young Inuk mother who craves more than the predictable life sheSA国际影视传媒檚 been living in Ice Cove, a tight-knit Arctic town. After a spectacularly public exit from her stagnant marriage to the self-absorbed Ting, played by Kelly William, she finds herself back at square one. Crashing with her mom Neevee, portrayed by Maika Harper, she navigates single motherhood, a new job and the dating world SA国际影视传媒� all while trying to figure out what she really wants from life.
The half-hour series, which was shot in and around Iqaluit in the spring of 2024, premieres Tuesday on CBC and APTN.
Lambe, who is Inuk and was born in Nunavut, said she hopes Siaja breaks stereotypes of Indigenous women being SA国际影视传媒渧ictims of our circumstances.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淭o have a character who is so actively determined to chase what she wants and to reach a new level in her life that she can look back on and be proud of, I hope is something that a lot of Indigenous women feel seen by and that, more importantly, non-Indigenous people can look at and be like, SA国际影视传媒楢h! It does exist,SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒� said the 24-year-old.
SA国际影视传媒淚 know so many women like that and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 who I look up to. Like anybody else, we have dreams.SA国际影视传媒�
MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril previously collaborated on 2018 drama SA国际影视传媒楾he Grizzlies,SA国际影视传媒� which also marked LambeSA国际影视传媒檚 acting debut.
Arnaquq-Baril said working on that film, based on the true story of a youth lacrosse team created to address a wave of suicides in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, was powerful but SA国际影视传媒渆motionally taxing,SA国际影视传媒� and they were ready to do something more lighthearted.
SA国际影视传媒淲e just wanted to pivot a little bit and rest our hearts and do something that was full of joy and laughter,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Many local faces
CBC greenlit the series in 2021 but eventually sought production partners so the story could be told with the scope and scale it called for. On top of capturing IqaluitSA国际影视传媒檚 sweeping vistas of frozen tundra, the show features many local community members as background actors, as well as artwork, garments and artifacts by local artisans and designers.
SA国际影视传媒淭o be authentic it had to be shot in Iqaluit, and we wanted it to be, but thereSA国际影视传媒檚 many costs that come with that that make it more expensive,SA国际影视传媒� said Sally Catto, CBCSA国际影视传媒檚 general manager of entertainment, factual and sports.
MacDonald described it as SA国际影视传媒渟erendipitousSA国际影视传媒� that they were pitching the SA国际影视传媒楴orth of NorthSA国际影视传媒� pilot right as Netflix opened its Canadian production office in 2023.
SA国际影视传媒淭hey just happened to be starting to look for their first Canadian projects and we were just like, SA国际影视传媒淲hat better project than an Arctic comedy?SA国际影视传媒漇A国际影视传媒�
The streaming giant also ordered SA国际影视传媒淲ayward,SA国际影视传媒� a thriller series by Toronto comedian Mae Martin (previously titled SA国际影视传媒淭all PinesSA国际影视传媒�), around the same time.
SA国际影视传媒楴orth of NorthSA国际影视传媒� will premiere globally on Netflix this spring.
Arnaquq-Baril said she and MacDonald wanted an international audience for SA国际影视传媒淣orth of NorthSA国际影视传媒� from the very beginning.
SA国际影视传媒淭he way the world has seen us has been so far in history SA国际影视传媒� like we donSA国际影视传媒檛 exist anymore,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
SA国际影视传媒淪o we were ambitious for the story to be seen on the global stage so that we could shift the way the world sees us.SA国际影视传媒�
She wants audiences to see that Indigenous women arenSA国际影视传媒檛 frozen in time, but are connected to the wider world, with their own hopes, dreams and yes, carnal desires.
MacDonald teased that the series will have some SA国际影视传媒渢wisted and sexySA国际影视传媒� moments.
SA国际影视传媒淚t looks cute, but itSA国际影视传媒檚 just a trick,SA国际影视传媒� she laughed, referring to the showSA国际影视传媒檚 promotional photos featuring Lambe donning fur-lined parkas in front of snowy mountains.
Lambe joked that she will have to walk around Iqaluit with her hood up after the season airs, thanks to the showSA国际影视传媒檚 steamy scenes.
SA国际影视传媒淧eople are going to be looking at us like, SA国际影视传媒榊ou wrote this?SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒擝y Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
