In developing 鈥淣orth of North,鈥� a new Inuk comedy co-produced by Netflix and C小蓝视频 in partnership with APTN, the creators made one thing clear: it had to be 鈥渁 horny show.鈥�
鈥淪o often Indigenous women don't have any bodily autonomy in shows and aren't allowed to enjoy sex. They're often victims of it,鈥� said Nunavut-born co-creator Stacey Aglok MacDonald during an interview last month in Toronto.
鈥淲e really wanted to show Inuit women and Indigenous women being in control of their bodies, having feelings and wanting romance and wanting sex and all of that stuff.鈥�
Turning to star Anna Lambe and co-creator Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, who were sitting beside her at the C小蓝视频 headquarters, she added: "It also felt real to us, and we're all about authenticity.鈥�
The three burst into laughter, somewhat delirious from the long day of promoting the show. MacDonald quipped that the endless parade of journalists shuffling in and out of the junket room left them feeling "like we鈥檙e in a brothel," drawing another round of chuckles.
鈥淣orth of North鈥� follows Lambe鈥檚 Siaja, a young Inuk mother who craves more than the predictable life she鈥檚 been living in Ice Cove, a tight-knit Arctic town. After a spectacularly public exit from her stagnant marriage to the self-absorbed Ting, played by Kelly William, she finds herself back at square one. Crashing with her mom Neevee, portrayed by Maika Harper, she navigates single motherhood, a new job and the dating world 鈥� all while trying to figure out what she really wants from life.
The half-hour series, which was shot in and around Iqaluit in the spring of 2024, premieres Tuesday on C小蓝视频 and APTN.
Lambe, who is Inuk and was born in Nunavut, said she hopes Siaja breaks stereotypes of Indigenous women being 鈥渧ictims of our circumstances.鈥�
鈥淭o have a character who is so actively determined to chase what she wants and to reach a new level in her life that she can look back on and be proud of, I hope is something that a lot of Indigenous women feel seen by and that, more importantly, non-Indigenous people can look at and be like, 鈥楢h! It does exist,鈥欌�� said the 24-year-old.
鈥淚 know so many women like that and that's who I look up to. Like anybody else, we have dreams.鈥�
MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril previously collaborated on 2018 drama 鈥淭he Grizzlies,鈥� which also marked Lambe鈥檚 acting debut.
Arnaquq-Baril said working on that film, based on the true story of a youth lacrosse team created to address a wave of suicides in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, was powerful but 鈥渆motionally taxing,鈥� and they were ready to do something more lighthearted.
鈥淲e just wanted to pivot a little bit and rest our hearts and do something that was full of joy and laughter,鈥� she said.
C小蓝视频 greenlit the series in 2021 but eventually sought production partners so the story could be told with the scope and scale it called for. On top of capturing Iqaluit's sweeping vistas of frozen tundra, the show features many local community members as background actors, as well as artwork, garments and artifacts by local artisans and designers.
鈥淭o be authentic it had to be shot in Iqaluit, and we wanted it to be, but there鈥檚 many costs that come with that that make it more expensive,鈥� said Sally Catto, C小蓝视频鈥檚 general manager of entertainment, factual and sports.
MacDonald described it as 鈥渟erendipitous鈥� that they were pitching the 鈥淣orth of North鈥� pilot right as Netflix opened its Canadian production office in 2023.
鈥淭hey just happened to be starting to look for their first Canadian projects and we were just like, 鈥淲hat better project than an arctic comedy?鈥濃��
The streaming giant also ordered "Wayward," a thriller series by Toronto comedian Mae Martin (previously titled "Tall Pines"), around the same time.
"North of North" will premiere globally on Netflix this spring.
Arnaquq-Baril said she and MacDonald wanted an international audience for 鈥淣orth of North鈥� from the very beginning.
鈥淭he way the world has seen us has been so far in history 鈥� like we don't exist anymore," she said.
"So we were ambitious for the story to be seen on the global stage so that we could shift the way the world sees us.鈥�
She wants audiences to see that Indigenous women aren鈥檛 frozen in time, but are connected to the wider world, with their own hopes, dreams and yes, carnal desires.
MacDonald teased that the series will have some 鈥渢wisted and sexy鈥� moments.
鈥淚t looks cute, but it鈥檚 just a trick,鈥� she laughed, referring to the show's promotional photos featuring Lambe donning fur-lined parkas in front of snowy mountains.
Lambe joked that she will have to walk around Iqaluit with her hood up after the season airs, thanks to the show's steamy scenes.
鈥淧eople are going to be looking at us like, 鈥榊ou wrote this?鈥欌��
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2025.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
