The Necessities of Life

The story

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

Cast

N Natar UngalaaqTiivii É Éveline GélinasCarole P Paul-André BrasseurKaki L Louise MarleauSoeur Luce G Guy ThauvetteDr. Montpetit A Antoine BertrandRoger V Vincent-Guillaume OtisJoseph D Denis BernardPère Millaire L Luc ProulxL'horloger M Miali BuscemiQupanuaq A Ann-Sophie ArcherInfirmière de jour A Alexandre ThériaultPatient jaloux

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F Frédérick BouffardPatient agonisant C Caroline TanguayInfirmière de nuit J Jacques-Henri GagnonL'archevêque S Serge BoninL'aumônier G Guillaume SaladinInterprète blanc P Pierre-Antoine Simard-LafondAide-infirmier S Stéphane-Antoine ComtoisMembre d'équipage É ÉlisapieMère inuk malade S Sylvain BrosseauInfirmier-chauffeur A Annie Neevee PitsiulakFille de Tiivii (9 ans) A Annie S. KootooFille de Tiivii (5 ans) P Patrick BrownPatient mourant J Jocelyn PelletierPatient salle commune N Nicola-Frank VachonPatient salle commune J Jean-Claude GodboutPatient salle commune J Jean-Alexandre LétourneauPatient salle commune A André DuvalBarbier C Christian MorinPréposé C Corinne GermainReligieuse au chevet J Jean-René MoisanStagiaire M Martin PerreaultStagiaire J Josée-Gabrielle LabarBénévole A Aline BouchardBénévole M Michael BuscemiBébé inuk K Karina Luzia DesmaraisInfirmière A Amira CherietInfirmière S Suzann MéthotInfirmière J Jod Léveillé-BernardPatient voisin S Steeve GagnéInfirmier costaud M Maxime AllenJeune prêtre S Serge ThibodeauFermier G Gilbert FontaineTechnicien radiologiste G Gilbert MarcouxBrancardier D Danielle MartelSoeur P Pascale LauzièreSoeur J Jeannie KownirkMère