On the heels of a new Inuit series for Netflix and CBC, more Inuit representation in film is on the horizon with a new movie under a casting call in Iqaluit.
Filmmakers Jaap van Heusden and Arviat's Vinnie Karetak have been seeking actors for their feature 'In Alaska.'
“We’ve expanded our search from some of the roles that we have that are Inuit, that we will need to fill for our filming to be done in Nunavut, hopefully at the end of April,” Karetak told Nunavut News. He became involved when van Heusden sought “an eye for an Inuit project” in the fall of 2019, “and to see if it was something that the Inuit community could stand behind... [Van Heusden] being a white European, the roles of Inuit descent should be developed by an Inuk. I wasn’t the first person to respond to him... I happened to give him some of my thoughts, and he eventually asked me to work on this. It was quite the opportune time for me to work on this, as Iqaluit had just gone on lockdown [during Covid].”
Van Heusden developed an interest in the Arctic when his journalist wife was writing in Alaska. The film itself is set in Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk, but will likely be filmed in Iqaluit for logistical reasons.
A news story from years ago about a man shooting the Alaskan pipeline and causing a huge leak inspired the movie's screenplay.
“In real life, the guy got caught pretty quickly... so [van Heusden] based it off that story, turned it into a younger guy who’s troubled, and it ended [up being] a much longer chase than what actually happened.”
By January 2020, Karetak was working with Van Heusden three times a week, overcoming a six-hour time difference between them.
“All the new characters were developed and vetted and made more realistic for Inuit to see and watch and go through, and not glorify all the issues we have in the Arctic,” Karetak explains, “like the isolation, the high cost of living, the legacy of the residential school system. We tip-toe around it... We know it’s there, we know there are social issues and mental health issues and suicide issues. It’s there, it’s not shied away from, but it’s not the focus.
“It’s [about] a man in a small town, whose mother was essentially abandoned by her husband, and so she’s living in a trailer in a small town in Alaska, and her son is feeling abandoned by the whole world, so he gets in trouble with the law and tries to escape. Eventually, he realizes his mother was from Canada, and was convinced to sneak across the border, and to go where is mother is from, and he realizes that he isn’t depressed. He was just in the wrong place, and so he found solace and peace in the new community. It’s a coming-of-age story with a bit of a chase scene.”
Karetak adds that his input was valuable for “the historical drama,” as well as giving a perspective on mental health issues, residential schools, food insecurity, overcrowding and suicide. “It’s all in there, so it makes it more realistic. I can’t say [it’s about] myself, but it’s about stuff I have seen and experienced."
The filming will be split into two parts, with the first half expected to take place in Iqaluit in April.
“We’re doing the Nunavut portion first because the time of year we want to do it, we’ll need snow and ice and snowmobiles... we’re quickly trying to find Inuit actors, hence the open auditions in Iqaluit. Cost and time permitting, we’ll be looking in other places, but for the time being, we’re strongly suggesting people [submit] online their application or audition tapes. The second phase of the filming will happen in September, over in British Columbia.”
Roles under consideration for casting include the principal role of an Inuk mother (a female in her 40s or 50s), supporting role of Inuit father (a male aged 45-60), and Inuit grandmother (a female aged 65-80).
Auditions are being held at the Aqsarniit Hotel in Iqaluit on Friday Jan. 3 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Applications can be submitted online at bit.ly/inuitcasting.
Email inalaskastreetcasting@gmail.com with any questions.
