In Alaska

Sometimes when you to want to die, you find inspiration in the unlikeliest places. Mel Gibson tumbling into the bathtub while holding a hair dryer in the 2000 rom-com What Women Want is one of the methods Woody (Leo Matthew Temula) tells his therapist he tried in attempting to end his life. But the earnest In Alaska is no laughing matter, with the slow burn procedural excavating the still open historical wounds of the Inuit community.

Susan Tarheel (Noomi Rapace) is your archetypal FBI agent. She’s earned a reputation for her unique, “minimal” methods in tracking down criminals. Battling her own demons, she’s a woman of few words and a source of quiet frustration to her partner Roomfield (Yin Wang). Naturally, he works by the book, and is a poster boy the kind of agent the FBI likes to move up the ranks. Together they work out of a dumpy FBI field office in Fairbanks, Alaska. It’s not exactly the most glamorous gig but Tarheel and Roomfield are soon given a case that’s making national headlines: someone has fired a bullet into the Trans-Alaska Pipeline causing a massive oil leak. It’s quickly ascertained that the lead suspect is teenage Woody and the hunt is on for the “eco-terrorist.”

Roomfield sees an opportunity to make his mark and sinks his teeth into the investigation. But from the jump, Susan feels something is off about their intended target. He simply doesn’t fit the profile of those in other activist groups (who are already declaring their solidarity with Woody) who favor direct action. Susan isn’t wrong. Woody did fire the bullet, albeit in the course of another failed suicide attempt. Nevertheless, Woody knows the burst pipe will get him into a world of trouble, and he heads deep into the woods hoping to survive and evade law enforcement.

Penned by the film’s directors Jaap van Heusden and Vinnie Karetak, the film sees Woody (Temula making a strong impression in his first starring role) ironically finding a reason to live as he goes on the run. He learns that being mixed-race doesn’t mean he doesn’t belong to anybody. Rather, he’s warmly embraced and hidden by a remote Inuit community where he learns to be part of a family and takes an active role in fishing and preparing meals. It’s in these sequences the film is most illuminating, showing a rare depiction on the big screen of Inuit life that genuinely feels full and lived-in.

Unfortunately, those moments sit in a picture that largely drags. The investigation, such as it is, sees Susan’s mostly wordless agent essentially operating as a budget Will Graham, summoning insights that others miss from the seemingly meaningless and ordinary. It’s not particularly convincing, and with an actor as gifted as Rapace, it’s disappointing to see her in a role so restrained she almost vanishes. And with the picture anchored by two protagonists who prefer to keep their thoughts to themselves, it often keeps the film at a remove from the audience, just as Susan and Woody are to the people around them.

In Alaska has noble intentions. Even if cursorily, it addresses the cyclical harm that usually follows when Inuit people enter the carceral system. The story is underpinned by the ugly legacy of the residential school system and the trauma that continues to afflict subsequent generations. But these issues don’t necessarily (or automatically) make for good drama. “I’m afraid of life,” Woody says. But that gnawing fear — one that leads him to swallow a bottle of pills or put the barrel of a gun beneath his jaw — isn’t never quite felt, muting the redemption of a young man who deserves much more.

Director: Jaap van Heusden, Vinnie Karetak
Screenplay: Jaap van Heusden and Vinnie Karetak
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Leo Matthew Temela, Yin Wang, Zorga Qaunaq, Miali Buscemi, Joanassie Aupaluk
Producers: Marc Bary, Tyler Hagan, Vinnie Karetak
Cinematography: Martijn van Broekhuizen
Production design: Tiana Gordon, Cheryl Marion
Costume design: Carmen Thompson
Editing: Xander Nijsten
Music: Minco Eggersman
Sound: Marco Vermaas
Production companies: IJswater Films (Netherlands), Experimental Forest Films (Canada), Uuktumiaq Studios (Canada)
World sales: WTFilms
Venue: Toronto International Film Festival (Special Presentations)
In English, Inuktitut
108 minutes