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The Necessities of Life (2008)
Ce qu'il faut pour vivre (original title)

PG  102 min  -  Drama   -  30 June 2010 (Belgium)
7.4
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Ratings: 7.4/10 from 495 users  
Reviews: 5 user | 14 critic

In 1952, an Inuit hunter named Tivii with tuberculosis leaves his northern home and family to go recuperate at a sanatorium in Quebec City... See full summary »

Director:

Benoît Pilon

Writer:

Bernard Émond (screenwriter)
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The Necessities of Life -- An Inuit man is diagnosed with tuberculosis by Canadian authorities and forcibly removed from his family and quarantined in a Quebec City. Tivii is uprooted and taken to a sanatorium far from his loved ones. Faced with a completely alien world, he finds himself unable to communicate with anyone until he sparks a relationship with another transplanted Inuit, a young orphan named Kaki. The Necessities of Life -- Trailer for The Necessities Of Life
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Cast

Credited cast:
Denis Bernard Denis Bernard ...
Père Millaire
Antoine Bertrand Antoine Bertrand
Paul-André Brasseur Paul-André Brasseur ...
Kaki
Éveline Gélinas Éveline Gélinas ...
Carole
Elisapie Isaac Elisapie Isaac ...
Femme inuite
Louise Marleau Louise Marleau
Vincent-Guillaume Otis Vincent-Guillaume Otis ...
Joseph
Luc Proulx Luc Proulx
Guy Thauvette Guy Thauvette
Natar Ungalaaq Natar Ungalaaq ...
Tiivii
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Storyline

In 1952, an Inuit hunter named Tivii with tuberculosis leaves his northern home and family to go recuperate at a sanatorium in Quebec City. Uprooted, far from his loved ones, unable to speak French and faced with a completely alien world, he becomes despondent. When he refuses to eat and expresses a wish to die, his nurse, Carole, comes to the realization that Tivii's illness is not the most serious threat to his well-being. She arranges to have a young orphan, Kaki, transferred to the institution. The boy is also sick, but has experience with both worlds and speaks both languages. By sharing his culture with Kaki and opening it up to others, Tivii 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. Written by blondmonkey5  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Sanatorium | Inuit | Tuberculosis | 1950s | Sickness  | See more »

Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site | Add/edit official sites  »

Country:

Canada

Language:

Inuktitut | French | Latin | English

Release Date:

(Belgium) See more »

Also Known As:

Inuujjutiksaq See more »

Filming Locations:

Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$CAD4,000,000 (estimated)
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Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Argentina:  | Canada:

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Canada's contender for the 2009 foreign language Oscar. See more »