Tautuktavuk: What We See

Set entirely in Nunavut, Tautuktavuk: What We See details the low-key comings and goings of several characters, including two siblings, over the course of a few days during the COVID-19 pandemic. Filmmakers Carol Kunnuk and Lucy Tulugarjuk, working from a script written alongside Samuel Cohn-Cousineau, Gillian Robinson, and Norman Cohn, deliver a subdued and freewheeling drama that succeeds predominantly as an evocative, authentic portrait of the tight-knit community in which it unfolds, and there’s little doubt, ultimately, that  Tautuktavuk: What We See fares best when focused on the documentary-like affairs of its various protagonists (eg an elder figure performs a musical ritual, various denizens munch on raw fish at a local event, etc). It’s clear, then, that the picture’s pervasive rough-around-the-edges atmosphere, which is keenly reflected in its low-rent visuals, amateurish performances, and stilted, awkward dialogue, ultimately prevents the viewer from connecting to the characters and their continuing exploits, with the increasingly arms-length vibe ensuring that the whole thing peters out long before arriving at its admittedly striking finale – thus securing Tautuktavuk: What We See‘s place as an earnest, well-intentioned misfire that feels substantially longer than its 82 minutes.

** out of ****