Chosen as the opening film for this year's Fantasia International Film Festival, Polaris has been dubbed the "Mad Max of the Arctic" and is the second film by director KC Carthew. Filmed in the Yukon, Polaris is a primarily non-verbal, sci-fi fantasy that explores the relationship between human and nature. Visceral and kinetic, Carthew draws out great performances from her cast and builds an immersive world that audiences will lose themselves in.
Set in 2144, the Earth's climate has reached its breaking point and the world is in a perpetual state of winter and seemingly without men. Sumi (Viva Lee) and her polar bear mother (Agee, the only trained polar bear in North America who recently retired from show biz) traverse the snowy plains, surviving off the environment with animalistic instincts. Guided by the north star, Polaris, their journey is interrupted when a band of women assault Sumi and hold her captive.
Sumi is able to evade her kidnappers in a violent escape, but is then left to her own devices to reunite with her mother. She continues to use Polaris as a compass, and along the way she makes the acquaintance of a solitary woman (Muriel Dutil) and the Frozen Girl (Khamisa Wilsher). During her quest, Sumi is tested physically and mentally, all while learning about human connection and trust.
Taking inspiration from Carthew's 2015 short film, Fish Out of Water, the Yellowknife-based director explores the idea of living in a world separate to your own. Having been raised by a polar bear (the backstory of which we aren't privy to), Sumi doesn't know how to interact with her own species. Carthew cleverly places viewer's in Sumi's position by not providing subtitles to the fictional language being spoken by the other human characters. Even without understandable dialogue, the actors are still captivating, in large part due to a great performance by Lee.
In her feature film debut, Lee shows off an impressive physicality — not only in the action scenes, but also when we see her interact with her polar bear mother. She replicates the movements of the bear so impeccably that any suspension of belief audiences need to make in Polaris is easy.
Carthew's first film, The Sun at Midnight, showed off Northern Canada's beauty at the height of summer with lush foliage and landscapes. In Polaris, alongside director of photography David Schuurman, Carthew takes advantage of the endless stark white terrain, creating a truly isolating experience that also highlights the serene beauty and magic of the territory. Adding to the post-apocalyptic feel is a Mad Max aesthetic, where abandoned storage lockers and junkyard discards are used to create shelters and armour.
Polaris is a bold film with an obvious environmental message. Using the desolation and cold of the North as her canvas, Carthew draws attention to the very lands that have significantly felt the changes of our climate crisis, and will continue to. Carthew and Schuurman create beautiful moments to show the deep connection humans and nature could have, including an enchanting moment when the trees of the Earth protect young Sumi.
An absolutely mesmerizing film, Carthew has shown herself to be a riveting and well-rounded storyteller. The marriage between beautiful and violent visuals, captivating communication, and poignant themes is simply wonderful. Polaris shines as bright as the North Star in the depths of winter.
(Epic Pictures)Set in 2144, the Earth's climate has reached its breaking point and the world is in a perpetual state of winter and seemingly without men. Sumi (Viva Lee) and her polar bear mother (Agee, the only trained polar bear in North America who recently retired from show biz) traverse the snowy plains, surviving off the environment with animalistic instincts. Guided by the north star, Polaris, their journey is interrupted when a band of women assault Sumi and hold her captive.
Sumi is able to evade her kidnappers in a violent escape, but is then left to her own devices to reunite with her mother. She continues to use Polaris as a compass, and along the way she makes the acquaintance of a solitary woman (Muriel Dutil) and the Frozen Girl (Khamisa Wilsher). During her quest, Sumi is tested physically and mentally, all while learning about human connection and trust.
Taking inspiration from Carthew's 2015 short film, Fish Out of Water, the Yellowknife-based director explores the idea of living in a world separate to your own. Having been raised by a polar bear (the backstory of which we aren't privy to), Sumi doesn't know how to interact with her own species. Carthew cleverly places viewer's in Sumi's position by not providing subtitles to the fictional language being spoken by the other human characters. Even without understandable dialogue, the actors are still captivating, in large part due to a great performance by Lee.
In her feature film debut, Lee shows off an impressive physicality — not only in the action scenes, but also when we see her interact with her polar bear mother. She replicates the movements of the bear so impeccably that any suspension of belief audiences need to make in Polaris is easy.
Carthew's first film, The Sun at Midnight, showed off Northern Canada's beauty at the height of summer with lush foliage and landscapes. In Polaris, alongside director of photography David Schuurman, Carthew takes advantage of the endless stark white terrain, creating a truly isolating experience that also highlights the serene beauty and magic of the territory. Adding to the post-apocalyptic feel is a Mad Max aesthetic, where abandoned storage lockers and junkyard discards are used to create shelters and armour.
Polaris is a bold film with an obvious environmental message. Using the desolation and cold of the North as her canvas, Carthew draws attention to the very lands that have significantly felt the changes of our climate crisis, and will continue to. Carthew and Schuurman create beautiful moments to show the deep connection humans and nature could have, including an enchanting moment when the trees of the Earth protect young Sumi.
An absolutely mesmerizing film, Carthew has shown herself to be a riveting and well-rounded storyteller. The marriage between beautiful and violent visuals, captivating communication, and poignant themes is simply wonderful. Polaris shines as bright as the North Star in the depths of winter.