Netflix's Arctic Comedy North of North Brings Generational 'Traumedy' to TV

If you're ever lucky enough to visit the north Canadian territory Nunavut, you'll realize two things: It is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and the people there are among the friendliest you'll ever meet. During my short stay in Iqaluit for the filming of Netflix's new arctic comedy North of North, I found that everyone was interested in sharing their stories, but they were equally invested in learning ours. 

There was talk of resilience and generational trauma over Muktuk or chicken wings, but there were also tales of successful hunts, community events, and overall learnings. An overwhelming feeling from those we met was that they wanted us southerners to return home and share the message wide: Nunavut is an amazing place, and it's more than just a singular thing.  

Feeling that community and passion firsthand makes you appreciate North of North and what it accomplishes that much more. The series, which hails from co-creators Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, is a celebration of community and an exploration of complex social issues through a hopeful comedic lens. 

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The series stars Anna Lambe as Siaja, a young Inuk mother who realizes she wants more than to just be known as her husband's wife. So she blows up her life and starts fresh, defying the expectations of the same community that embraces her. It's all set against the backdrop of spring, which is one of the most celebratory seasons in Iqaluit, and within the context of the community center where Siaja works.

"We realized at some point in our writing process that southerners don't really know what a community center is," says Aglok MacDonald. "They exist in the South as well but they're not essential like they are up here."

The real relationship at the heart of this series as the eight episodes unfold, however, is the one between Siaja and her mother, Neevee (Maika Harper). While Siaja rediscovers herself as a single mother, she learns more about the mom she felt as though she had to raise. As the relationship progresses, it leads to themes of generational trauma and healing. 

"Traumedy, as we're calling it," explains Aglok MacDonald. "The world for our mothers was so different compared to the world we live in now. My mother was born in a caribou skin tent, she went to residential school. Our colonization has happened a lot later than a lot of other Indigenous people. There's a lot of shame on our mothers' parts, because that was infused into them."

The co-showrunner explains that the result has been a lot of hardships between mothers and daughters, and them not understanding one another. It was ripe material to explore and a chance to showcase the interconnective tissue of all the women in the community. 

"Our mothers are bad-asses," adds Arnaquq-Baril. "They're funny, so that's like a bottomless pit of stories. A drama would just be really frustrating."

Coming at these stories through a lens of joy is another way for the creators to infuse the series with community, and to reclaim their stories that have been historically misrepresented. 

"I fought so hard for this role," says Harper, who is originally from the community but left to pursue acting in Toronto. "It's so beautiful to come back for such an important show, it's a reality of a lot people up north. The dynamic Siaja has with her mom is so different, and I think people are going to be struck by how raw and real and hard the relationship is."

Lambe was born in Iqaluit and agrees that "traumedy" is a good way to describe North of North. She explains it's one of those situations where if you don't laugh, you'll cry. She feels as though the scripts capture so many true moments that highlight how she and her neighbors cope but also celebrate and come together within their communities. 

"The show reflects the reality of living within an Indigenous community and the historical traumas and things that we do experience," she says. "There's such an ebb and flow and that's just a part of life. It's represented so authentically."

As for Siaja's relationship with Nevee, Lambe says that their push-and-pull is something she feels and sees deeply within the community, and she's excited to bring that story to the world through the streaming service. 

"It's representing a generation of people who grew up in a time period where residential schools were still very much a part of our community and our reality," she says. "How that hurts a relationship, how it creates a unique relationship. Siaja is the next generation, the light that's moving forward. It kind of shows the optimism we have for the future."  

Season 1 of North of North is now on Netflix.