Westerns aren't traditionally kind to the Indigenous population. In the movies involving cowboys, the cowboys always win.
Zacharias Kunuk, best known for Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, decided to take a famous Western and use an all-Indigenous cast. Kunuk co-directed and co-wrote Maliglutit | Searchers. The classic John Ford film was about revenge after a family is attacked.
The unpleasant leader Kupak and his followers Aulla, Tulimaaq, and Timauti go after women who are with other men. They are accused of not sharing food. They get kicked out of that Inuit community. They are horrible people. Why are they horrible? This isn't that type of movie.
They search for women and come across a camp where the men have gone off to hunt caribou. Kuanana takes Siku hunting. Kuanana's young son Angutii wants to go on the hunt and is left behind. They come back to find several of their family members murdered, including Angutii. Ailla and her daughter are abducted.
The chase is on to get back their family members.
The original film plays up the need to get revenge against the entirety of the Indigenous population. Maliglutit feels more like reuniting what is left of the family.
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Maliglutit is a very quiet film that builds tension without being tense. The dialogue is minimalist, except for the parts where the culture is unveiled. There is a cross section of people who watch movies who like a simple story with little nuance. They likely haven't seen too many Indigenous films. Maliglutit is a gateway into that world.
You don't need to see Searchers to see Maliglutit. The basic plot points of tragedy and revenge run through both films. If you enjoy Maliglutit, you should check out Searchers.
On the flip side, if you don't like violence or Westerns, you can certainly get enough merit from watching Maliglutit. This version has violence but is a lot less violent than the original.
This was one of the few films your humble narrator has seen where Indigenous people play good and bad people. Indigenous films we've seen previously had demons, but they were spirits or white people.
TIFF named Maliglutit to Canada's Top Ten list of Canadian films of 2016. Maliglutit received a pair of Canadian Screen Awards nominations for Best Motion Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers
photo credit: Maliglutit film
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