TAUTUKTAVUK (WHAT WE SEE) Wins Sun Jury Award

Tautuktavuk (What We See) does it again! This time, the film, co-directed by Lucy Tulugarjuk (Tia and Piujuq, One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner) and Carol Kunnuk (Welcome to my Qammaq, Being Prepared, Attagatuluk), has won the Sun Jury Award at the 2023 ImagineNATIVE Film Festival. This award is in recognition for outstanding work regardless of the length or genre. 
 
The ImagineNATIVE screening follows the very successful world premiere at TIFF where co-directors, Kunnuk and Tulugarvuk, won the Amplify Voices BIPOC & Canadian First Feature Award presented by Canada Goose.
 
After experiencing a traumatic event, Uyarak leaves her community and family in Nunavut to live in Montreal. When COVID lockdowns close off the Canadian Arctic from the rest of the world, Uyarak is further separated from her closest confidant, eldest sister, Saqpinak. Uyarak doesn’t remember much about one terrible night of domestic violence, but Saqpinak does. Through zoom calls, Uyarak talks about healing from years of trauma and abuse, and how counselling and cultural reconnections are helping. It is revealed that Saqpinak is also experiencing domestic abuse at home. When Covid restrictions ease, Uyarak finally travels home to Igloolik where she embarks on a deeper healing journey visiting with family and elders, in town and out on the land.  In a series of vignettes of heartache, healing and overcoming, Tautuktavuk (What We See) blurs the lines of both the fictional lives of the sisters and the non-fiction lives of film’s creators who play the sisters, Lucy Tulugarjuk and Carol Kunnuk, respectively.
 
Tautuktavuk (What We See) stars Lucy Tulugarjuk, Carol Kunnuk, Benjamin Kunuk (One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk, Searchers), and Madeline Ivalu (Angakusajaujuq - The Shaman's Apprentice, The Grizzlies, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner) and is based on a script by Lucy Tulugarjuk, Carol Kunnuk, Samuel Cohn-Cousineau (Tia and Piujuq), Gillian Robinson (The Journals of Knud Rasmussen), and Norman Cohn (One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner).
 
It is produced by Lucy Tulugarjuk and Jonathan Frantz (Angakusajaujuq - The Shaman's Apprentice, Edge of the Knife, One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk) and is executive produced by Zacharias Kunuk (Angakusajaujuq - The Shaman's Apprentice, One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner), Mandeline Ivalu, Susan Avingaq (SOL, Tia and Piujuq) and Norman Cohn. 
 
“I am honored and happy that Tautuktavut was invited to the ImagineNATIVE festival. I would like to say thank you to all the people who made the festival happen, and I’m honored we have received this award. I would also like to thank Lucy Tulugarjuk and all the team who worked with us to make this film come alive for our audiences to watch. I hope it inspires more Aboriginal people around Nunavut and Canada. Thank you once again to the ImagineNATIVE,” said co-writer/director Carol Kunnuk. 
 
Tautuktavuk was shot during COVID in Montreal, QC and Igloolik, NU. It will release theatrically in the winter/spring 2024 with community touring: Spring 2024. Tautuktavuk is being distributed in Canada by Isuma Distribution International and Uvagut TV is the Canadian broadcaster (non-exclusive). All rights availabilities outside of Canada are being handled by Isuma Distribution International.
 
Cinematography by Jonathan Frantz, production design by Susan Avingaq, costume design by Susan Avingaq and Deporah-Susie Qaunaq and editing by Jeremiah Hayes (Dear Audrey, Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World, Reel Injun). 
 
Tautuktavuk was produced with the participation of Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada, and with the assistance of the Government of Nunavut and the Nunavut Film Development Corporation.
 

ABOUT LUCY TULUGARJUK

Lucy Tulugarjuk is an actor, creative performer, and the Executive Director of Nunavut Independent Television Network (NITV). Lucy is well-known for her performances in feature films and was awarded Best Actress from the American Indian Film Institute for her performance in Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, which won the Caméra d’Or and Genie Award for Best Picture in 2002. She is the co-writer and director of the 2018 feature film, Tia and Piujuq, which premiered at the Carrousel Children’s Film Festival and the Boston Kid’s Film Festival and won the Jean Malaurie Prize at Festival du Film Canadienne in Dieppe, France. She was assistant director for Zacharias Kunuk’s most recent film One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk (2019), which was featured at the Canada Pavilion in the 2019 Venice Biennale and selected as “Best Canadian Film” (Vancouver International Film Festival) and "TIFF Canada's Top Ten" films in 2019. She played the role of the young shaman in Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice (2019), winner of several awards including Canadian Screen Award for Best Animated Short. In addition to her work in film and television, Lucy is a skilled Inuktitut translator. 
 

ABOUT CAROL KUNNUK

Carol Kunnuk is a filmmaker and has worked in independent television and film production since 1994 as a writer, camera operator, production supervisor, assistant director, actor and editor. Her personal work includes the short film Being Prepared (2021) and the documentary film Attagatuluk (2010). Her most recent credits include production supervisor on Maliglutit: Searchers (2016), editor on the documentary film Angirattut (Coming Home) (2014), and assistant-director for the documentary SOL. Carol currently directs and produces Welcome to my Qammaq, a weekly live television show broadcasting across Canada on Uvagut TV.
                                                                                                                                   

ABOUT JONATHAN FRANTZ

Jonathan Frantz is a film producer and director of photography who has worked on multiple feature films with Isuma/Kingulliit Productions and award-winning director Zacharias Kunuk, OC. Notable productions include Maliglutit (Searchers) (2016), the Canada Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale, and One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk (2019), recipient of “TIFF Canada’s Top Ten” and VIFF “Best Canadian Film” awards. Jonathan worked closely with the Haida Nation to create the first Haida language feature film, SG̲aawaay K’uuna (Edge of the Knife) (2018), which won 6 Leo Awards including “Best Picture”, TIFF "Canada’s Top Ten 2018", and VIFF “Best Canadian Film”. Most recently, Jonathan was co-writer and producer for the animated film Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice (2021), winner of numerous honours including the 2021 FIPRESCI award and shortlisted for the 2022 Oscars. 
 

ABOUT ISUMA DISTRIBUTION 

Founded in 2004, Isuma Distribution International is an Indigenous-owned film distributor specializing in Inuktitut and Indigenous-language films. Titles represented include Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (Isuma Productions), Before Tomorrow, Tia & Piujuq and Restless River (Arnait Productions), SG̲aawaay K’uuna: Edge of the Knife (Niijang Xyaalas Haida Productions), Maliglutit (Searchers) and One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk and most recently the CSA award-winning Angakusajaujuq - The Shaman's Apprentice (Kingulliit Productions). IDI’s northern office is in Igloolik, Nunavut and its southern office is in Montreal.

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